AUSTRALIAN SUNRISE

CHIMO IN GERMANY

NESBITT PAINTING

Added a nice piece of folk art to my small collection, an oil on glass (with some reverse painting as well) by NYC artist Ron C. Nesbitt. I very much liked it and was able to get it for far less than I was expecting. I feel so lucky. He apparently specializes in crowded street scenes and baseball scenes, as well as black history pieces. He works along Vanderbilt Avenue in New York City. I've seen a few examples of his work, and really like it. There supposedly is a short documentary film about him that I must track down. I feel very fortunate to have scored it. This one seems to have been given to a friend (or perhaps a friend bought it). I hope the family didn't discard it thinking it was not of value, but I'm glad it landed in my hands. I think it may have been intended to have some light shine through it, like stained glass, though I am reluctant to take it out of its current frame and backing.

CHIRP

The bird liked to sing // outside my midnight window, // chirping in the dark.

Sunset on Folly Beach

ART IN COLUMBIA

A very nice little exhibit of mostly 20th-centruy works by female artists has been mounted by the Columbia Museum of Art. I enjoyed it. Here is one, by Zelda Fitzgerald, wife of F. Scott Fitzgerald. Kind of in my wheelhouse because of Bruccoli.

CHIMO IN EUROPE

JLB's latest--a review

James Lee Burke, one of my favorite writers and responsible for nearly twenty volumes in the Dave Robicheaux series, still commands a wonderful array of descriptive language and usually tells a good story and people who love his characters probably don’t quibble about his prose, but he seems to be aging in style and power somewhat, now unable to avoid repetition both from previous volumes and even within these pages. In fact, I think it is time to wrap up the series, perhaps. There was a part of me that kept saying that he simply doesn’t have that much more to explore, even if new characters are added. And OMG, the “ands” rush by like a herd of deer in front of a firestorm (in one sentence I counted six). I suspect the publisher, knowing any new Burke would have built-in sales, forgoed assigning an editor to his best-selling producer, and no one apparently calls Burke to account. Sometimes the infractions are minor, such as having two characters include “over the hurdles” just pages apart to more egregious problems of retelling information the reader should be able to retain on their own. Sometimes characters, not directly connected and at varied points, bring up the same historical events or remembrances (door gunner who couldn’t wait to get back to a free-fire zone). He is consistent with his former novels in the series (and outside as well) in his toilet and scatological references (someone always seems to be killed or beaten in a bathroom and something---often repeatedly--will be referenced going up a rear or spit in someone’s mouth or an item will be needed to be removed from a mouth). His dialogue is almost always angry: hardly ever can two characters, no matter when in the book, have a peaceful or genuine conversation, as they seem to be bitter and distrustful and dishonest and hateful and (wait, I’m sounding too much like JLB). And they all talk the same. Burke simply is unable to give characters unique tone (with the exception of some of the minor characters with local color). Still, I liked the story. I actually thought a favored character might be headed for his demise, but no. I am thinking about not reading any more of his books, but I would be willing to bet I’ll be first in line when another comes out.

COVID

We’ve reached 100,000 souls
But there are probably more;
Some now watch our death count
Like it’s a sports-team score.
Trump bungled the early response
And called it just a trick,
Said it was some Demo hoax
While thousand more got sick;
It will go away! Disappear in fact!
A miracle will end this pox;
Here, now take this unproven drug,
Or drink some pure Clorox.
As numbers reached highest points,
Families mourned those sent off,
While honoring too our veteran dead,
Trump played some rounds of golf.

VISIT WITH OLD FRIENDS

Two of my oldest-known friends at Baker Creek State Park. Keith and Kat Huddleston Robertson of Tampa. Known Keith since I was 10 or so. Both were HS classmates at Leto High.

WORK LOCKDOWN

I turn on the light
At the end of the hall
But there’s nothing really to fear
It’s just that it’s quiet
And a little bit weird
When no other people are here;
The computers hum
And the lights have a buzz,
But otherwise it’s rather still;
Though oddly I like it
Noiseless like this,
I miss conversation at will.

HONDA CHARITY RIDE (BSA)

Worked the BSA area for the Honda Charity Ride for Veterans, first time without one of my boys present too. Sad for me, but felt I should. In bottom pic you can see my coffee station in lower right corner.

VERONA'S JULIET

VERONA'S JULIET

So many visitors have rubbed her face
And other invasions of personal space
So now she’s in Castelvecchio’ museum
No more touching, you can only see them;
Such bronze and beauty one can’t replace.

MORNING hawk (haiku)

MORNING HAWK

He sat majestic
Upon steeple, surveying
Eternal domain.

NIGHT

Nighttime has no face,
And so, no need to replace
This light with shadow.

WE KNOW

Why are so many surprised,
While others feign disbelief
That this terrible president
Flouts our sacred laws and
Our Constitution, that he
swore to uphold?
We knew who he was
From the beginning, and
He hasn’t changed,
even a little.
Children separated,
Journalists murdered,
Minorities insulted,
Farmers and business hurt
Poor suffering,
Foreign leaders bullied,
Kurds forsaken,
And so many more
Know exactly who he is.

AIRMAN CHIMO TIDD

I HOPE

Were his lifetime memories
Still vibrant in his soul,
As the ravages of time
Took its terrible toll?
Did his hikes and camping trips
Remain somewhere inside?
And his submarine service
Yet give eternal pride?
Were his wives and children too
Alive in aging mind,
Boy Scout deeds and mountain trips,
Adventures of all kind.
Old relatives and folk still here,
Their loving prayers out loud,
Hope that they came back to him
When he reached pearly cloud.

CATS

Attended last night the Broadway Bound Vista Theatre Project presentation of the musical CATS, the first time I've been able to see it live and I was pretty impressed. It's kind of a community theater group, but pretty professional. The dancing and makeup were fantastic, and a lot of the performances wonderful. At times it was difficult to hear the lyrics, but the cast belted them out with gusto. Everyone from the older performers down to the littlest really did a great job. Merritt Horan, who played Mistoffelees was rather impressive. I would have liked to hear more singing from Romell Dash (Shimbleshanks). I really liked Tracy Steel as Munkustrap, who never once seemed to take a minute off, always moving. Lanny Spires was perhaps a little over the top as Rum Tum, but I thought he was pretty good. Many of the high-school aged actors were very good. I thought Ed Davis as Growltiger was great. They all sure got a workout, and the dancing was amazingly clean. Major props to the makeup crew. I had a great evening.

EMPTY NEST (haiku)

EMPTY NEST

How does mother hen

Deal with chicks flying away

To different fates?