Random photos today, as I was too tired from mowing yesterday to do much of anything else. The grass was about 7 inches long in some places and it was still damp from all the rain. More today. As of tomorrow, we’re getting rain every day again.
The robin perched on this pole for the longest time. I don’t usually see that with robins.
Needs no explanation.
I’ve showed you Hickory Moth Tussock caterpillars before, but this one, along with about 50 more, was on some of the older milkweed the other day. They were fascinating to watch. I looked it up and found out that it’s a Milkweed Tussock Moth. In one night, they annihilated three leaves on a milkweed plant that had fallen due to a broken stem. Apparently, these moths and Monarch butterflies share the same coloring due to something in the milkweed plant. I can’t remember what it is at the moment.
We’ve seen the Hickory Tussock Moths coming down from the trees, rather like spiders, or rock climbers. They repel down. They appear suspended in midair, but they’re actually descending to the ground.
Calibrachoa blooming on the porch.
In the garden.
I am not one for animated movies as a rule. I was the kid who didn’t really like cartoons. But I’d heard great things about Disney’s Coco, so we watched it last night. Have you seen it? It’s simply wonderful! We were completely entranced and want to watch it again. It takes place in Mexico and centers around the Day of the Dead. Great plot, incredible animation – a truly beautiful movie with a powerful message. It’s on Netflix.
More mowing, some weeding, and some pruning are on the docket for today.
Happy Monday.
Coco delivers a big punch of color. I’m sure Don appreciated the focus on guitar playing, and both of you, the emphasis on family. I’ve seen almost all the Disney/Pixar movies, more than once, since I have children, and this is one of the best. One of my daughters saw it three times and cried each time. However, for pure camp fun, I like The Incredibles (original and sequel), with its retro feel, down to the 60’s-like theme song.
We loved Coco. And, according to Don, the animation of the guitar playing was perfect.
It looks so quiet and serene around your place today. Here, it’s a logging camp—chain saws droning, men yelling, leaf blower blaring! All this rain and our steep hill conspired to uproot a huge tree a couple of days ago. It came crashing down the hill, narrowly missing the house, and scaring us half to death! People walking up on the road yelled down to us to ask if we were okay. Luckily, only the topmost branches made it to the back corner of the house, causing no damage, except for leaves and branches everywhere! Today, it’s all about the cleanup. Oh, happy Monday.
I’m so sorry you lost the tree, but very happy that you are safe! Goodness!
I haven’t seen Coco but will watch it with the Grands some time. Waiting for the maintenance man to come and try to fix my ‘running’ toilet. It won’t turn off…yikes! Just another day in the life…
There’s always something!
Coco looks like a fun movie…but I have yet to watch. Sometimes you just need the animation! I’ve run out of things to do inside…so now, I really have to weed. Happy mowing! ;)
I’m weeding, but more rain is coming tomorrow for the rest of the week, so I think it’s a hopeless cause.
we actually FINALLY got a little rain last night! YAYYY!
and I will watch Coco now. I’ve always loved most animated films.
like Wendy I even enjoyed The Incredibles. they’ve learned to artfully put in adult humour too!
and the retro feel was wonderful!
however I may the only person in this country who never saw Frozen! LOL.
something about it. just couldn’t. don’t even know why. maybe I should try it too.
I never saw Frozen. You are not the only person who never saw it, Tammy!
hahaha! good I don’t feel so weird now. :)
although! it just has crossed my mind. with it so blasted hot here
maybe it would be a good one to watch! LOL
It might work as a sort of air conditioner.
Not a cartoon/animated anything here; not even much when I was a child (like some people were really into Mickey Mouse, but me[?], I preferred the Mickey Mouse CLUB and the human kids who’d perform, plus the great features/series’ like Spin and Marty, Annette, etc. I’ve never seen Frozen. I often see a lot of things a lot later than other people. It took me ten years to ever watch E.T. with a very-young Drew Barrymore. I’ve never seen Forrest Gump although I’ve read a few works by the author of the book (Winston Groom). Also took me ten years to get to Pretty Woman with Julia Roberts. It’s what happens when you never go to the movie theater and don’t have premium cable. And I’m never around kids. But, gosh, when I tried to juggle work & play for so many years, I felt like I never had time for movies or much TV, yet it’s important for easy entertainment, to relax and even from which to gently learn and be inspired.
Jeez, I am sounding VERY humorless.
Me too. I loved the Mickey Mouse Club. Cartoons, not so much.
I saw Forrest Gump after it had been out a while and, after all the hype, was extremely disappointed in it. I think it was highly overrated. Same with Pretty Woman, which is – God help us – being made into a Broadway Musical.
Yeah, like could we use some new ideas out there for TV, film AND Broadway? Do we really need to see a sequel to Top Gun with old dudes? Escape to Margaritaville WAS new and original, yet the other stuff gets the better billing. I never get it; defies logic.
Remember how one time you said something before about feeling wary when there’s too much hype? I think it was when I was waxing on about a couple of episodes I watched of the TV show called ‘This Is Us’. Heavily-touted TV show and what I saw WAS good but I just have never kept up with the series. Same thing goes for me with certain movies; I don’t know why, but the constant promotion of one will turn me off in no time. Yet I’ll stumble upon a sleeper and think, “Oh, I can’t believe I never watched this film; it is SO good.” Some of my favorites are indies, too, that just pop up and never got much acclaim. And my fave TV shows didn’t get long runs in former years. But I think they were gems. I guess I don’t go with the flow when it comes to this stuff; just weird that way. I have never watched the film, “Ghost” with Demi Moore, which makes me think of Patrick Swayze – – and I remember in the 80s when people were having whole parties just to view “Dirty Dancing” and, frankly, I was at one, only to fall asleep in the middle of the movie.
Yes, I tend to back away from anything overhyped. I decided to try “This is Us” while Don was in the city. I stuck it out through 3 episodes and gave up in relative disgust. Not very believable, formulaic, trite dialogue. Bordering on smarmy. The actors are very good, but the plots and writing they have to work with is pretty thin. I sat here in the den, and said to myself, “This is what everyone is so excited about?”
I guess they’d think we were as weird as we think they are but, like, with these reboots/sequels they run such a risk of just ruining everything. I don’t mean to sound unkind but I’m not too interested in seeing the esteemed but aging Candice Bergen in a reboot of “Murphy Brown” (the poor woman’s had a stroke for heaven’s sake although I guess she must be doing fine to tackle series TV again, if that’s what’s happening; but is comfortable/wealthy retirement in your 70s such a bad thing?!).
It’s one thing to have a reunion, but a total ‘new’ series based on the old, with the same actors over 30 years later? I don’t think we should mess with what was. We remember these shows from a different age and place; what was entertaining then isn’t necessarily entertaining now. I do have fave movies, for instance, from my past when I was younger, that I thought I loved so much but then when I watch them after too many years, the bloom’s sometimes off the rose for me. We grow, we change; our tastes and interests change/evolve. We go onto new things, different things. When movies/TV get too dated, I can turn off easily although, of course, some films are simply timeless. Especially a ‘period’ picture. So much of “I Love Lucy” is equally timeless, but it seems to be the exception, not the rule.
I was scanning entertainment headlines and I believe I saw something about “Cheers” possibly being rebooted? Or was it “Frasier”, I can’t remember. I’m like, WHY? Sure, money for them and hopefully for the producers but you have to ask what audience they’re all trying to appeal to, like does it mean that just we sentimental baby boomers are now watching TV at night because a younger audience has found a different medium? If you take “Cheers” and “Frasier”, yes, they can reassemble most of the cast in 2018 for “Cheers” but except for I think Woody Harrelson who might make a guest appearance (big film star now; would probably never commit to series TV; I think he’s still 50-something), it’s bunch of actors now in their 60s and 70s so how is THAT going to draw a younger demographic? Who’s the target audience; what are the advertisers? (I tend to fast-forward through commercials.) I don’t know anymore; I’m out of the loop and no longer track that sort of thing. The key demos were formerly a fairly-young age group, more like age 18 to 35 or something. I have to say, when “Golden Girls’ was on, what years were that, like mid’80s(?), the actors were indeed golden but they were women double my age; the show wasn’t interesting to me; I had no idea what it meant to be in their age group. I couldn’t relate to the humor. But the show was a big hit, so…
“Frasier” of course lost John Mahoney this year but I guess they’d find a suitable way to write him out of the show (well, they have to; he’s dead). Even that ensemble cast is mostly actors in their 50s now. And, hey, I’m older just like all of them in these shows, and I’m not knocking old per se; I think it’s great, for instance, that Don can get the roles he’s had more recently on TV like “The Good Wife” and “Mr Robot” – – I just know that when I was in my 20s and 30s, I liked a lot of TV and films that I could relate to with lead characters nearer to my own age and storylines relevant to my own age group. Their stories were sometimes reflective of my own.
Prompts me to educate myself/update my ‘knowledge’ on television demographics. What are the key demos in 2018. Don probably knows…
Well, I’m of a different mind on this. Most of the writing on television today is inferior. It’s formulaic and wit is missing. I find Modern Family to be an exception as well as the reboot of Will and Grace, both of which make me laugh out loud. And Schitt’s Creek and Grace and Frankie, which are on Netflix.
If Murphy Brown comes back at the same level of writing that it had in its first incarnation, I’ll be thrilled. I haven’t seen anything about Cheers or Frasier, but again, excellent, smart, sophisticated writing – and great actors. I’ll take it. Because, frankly, network television is a wasteland for me except for the shows I mentioned.
Okay, I get your perspective. See, I just don’t watch enough TV anymore to even really be giving an opinion. And I don’t do Netflix although I need to!
I think I just don’t want to be disappointed.
I understand. And there’s always that chance.
Thanks for the recommendation re “Coco.” I love a good animated movie – one with gorgeous color, creative characters, good music & obviously one that can appeal to both kids & adults alike. And I think these days we’re seeing more of those – which is great. Although even when I was a kid in the late 50s/early 60s, I knew there were things in the cartoons I watched then that I didn’t get – and figured they were there for the grownups in the crowd. I even own a couple of animated movies – “Beauty & the Beast” and “Despicable Me” – which I thought were so good I KNEW I’d want them in my collection. I’ll have to check out “Coco” soon – unless I’m mistaken I think I heard this mentioned during the Oscar show this year. Peace.
#Resist
#ProtectMueller
I think the song Remember Me was up for the Oscar, Janet. It may have won, I’m not sure.
Have you seen Moana? It is also on Netflix. I liked Coco, but I loved Moana. M
I haven’t seen it yet, Maggie. I’ll put it on our list!
That white Echinacea bloom is positively beautiful.
I’m so glad you enjoyed Coco! I think that movie needs to win an award or 2 or 3… :)
It won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature Film. And “Remember Me” won for Best Song.
You’re a nature photographer, Claudia. Add it to your resume!
Ha! I don’t think I’ll do that!
Claudia, the company that makes Necco wafers abruptly closed due to a bankruptcy. Manufacturing plant closed. So heads up to try and find all you Can!
Love your posts, they bring me joy.
I know that. They were sold to another company. Let’s hope they continue to make the candy. Last I heard they wanted to continue the Candy Hearts and Neccos. Fingers crossed!
Just had a thought: That makes my vintage Necco jar even more valuable!
Maybe you should list them on eBay Claudia…lol
The candies? People are already doing that!
I mowed the front lawn and trimmed a little. Thought it should be done before teh rain starts this week. The grass grew so quickly from all the previous rain.
Marilyn
Exactly why I was mowing, Marilyn. I wanted to beat the rain!
Well..the new week of rain started here today!…and I so much enjoyed the few days before that I was able to sit outside and breathe the fresh air again…The robin is pretty even with out his red breast showing….The old cartoons had so much violence in them didn’t they?…all of that hitting and bashing and bopping…I hope things have improved since then!…I haven’t seen an animated movie for a long, long time but if you and Don liked it…and since I have Netflix now…I will give it a try…Speaking of Day of the Dead…I think it’s fascinating how people in some other countries honor their dead Claudia!..it is just very admirable to me!
Yes, give it a try. It’s lovely. Funny, moving and beautiful.
sounds lovely … enjoying a new movie together. hopefully the yard work went quickly, easily.
hope you get a stretch of dry, cooler weather soon! we enjoyed a week of less-humid weather, but a week of higher humidity and 95 degree highs is ahead. i don’t want to rush earlier sunset times, but am beyond ready for cooler fall temperatures!
beautiful flowers and photos as usual. thanks.
kathy in iowa
Nope. We’re headed into rain, starting Tuesday night and going through Friday.
Careful what you wish for, right?