Goldenrod is blooming everywhere. Check out the two little bugs on the left. I had no idea they were there when I took the picture. I love surprises like that.
Neil Simon. Truly a gigantic loss for American Theater, as well as film. We’ll not see his like again. He started out as a very young writer working on the famous Your Show of Shows with Sid Caesar, along with fellow writers, Mel Brooks, Carl Reiner (who also performed in the skits) and his brother Danny Simon. He was also a famous script doctor, hence his nickname, Doc. When a show was trying out on the road and the script needed a fresh eye to make it work, he would be brought in to fix it. Everything I’m writing here is what I know off the top of my head. I have no idea how many shows he doctored, but there were a lot of them. Then there was his output as a playwright and screenwriter. No one knew how to write comedy like he did. No one. The comedy was character-based, so it worked. A joke just for the sake of a joke does not work. It has to come out of something real.
I did scenes from his plays in college, I did a staged reading of Prisoner of Second Avenue years later. Don has done The Odd Couple. And, several years ago, Don actually spoke with Simon on the phone. We hadn’t moved East yet and Don was staying at our friend’s place in Manhattan. This friend is a well-known director who was working on a project with Simon, but our friend was out of town. One day, the phone rang, and it was Neil Simon wanting to talk with our friend. So Don got to chat with him for a while.
Don and I speak often about how much we miss Larry King’s show on days like these. It functioned as a gathering place, a place we could all come together to mourn the loss of someone like John McCain or Neil Simon. We could tune in and hear stories about that person from those who knew and loved them. I really miss that. CNN disappoints me in all sorts of ways (I rarely watch it nowadays) but the failure of CNN/Jeff Zucker to keep that 9 pm slot for that kind of programming is perhaps my biggest disappointment. I can think of about 5 people right off the top of my head who would be great successors to Larry King.
I saw this tiny moth yesterday:
I see them a lot among the wildflowers. I tried to identify it but was unsuccessful. I’m pretty sure it’s a moth but maybe it’s a teeny tiny butterfly?
The markings are so beautiful.
I saw this wildflower blooming up in the back forty. I’ve never seen it before and as far as I can tell, only the one plant is blooming. Isn’t it sweet?
We’re making big plans for the month of October, when we will celebrate our 20th wedding anniversary. More on that soon! (Yes, it’s a teaser.)
Happy Monday.
Just cannot begin to accept Mr.Simon is gone. I cried like he was an old friend I lost. It’s times like this, losing two hugely important people, that make me want to crawl inside a blanket fort, armed with books, mugs of tea and all sorts of comfort foods, and stay! The world is crazy enough these days and losing two people who put stability in it is so sad.
I know. I feel the same way.
thanks for sharing kind recollections and information about john mccain and neil simon. what examples they set! what contributions they made to the world!
sorry; cannot help you in the “moth or butterfly?” debate. it sure is pretty, though, as are your photos. love the one of the bugs in flight.
hooray for those big plans and your upcoming 20th anniversary! i am glad you and don have each other as well as something “big” to look forward to.
hot and humid here, but rain is in the forecast (hooray for that part) and it should fall when i am home knitting on my first sock and trying not to cuss about it. :)
happy monday to all!
kathy in iowa
Very, very humid here today. The air is thick as soup!
Oooh, Big Plans. How Exciting! Beautiful little butterflies/moths, too. I love the surprise of a new weed/wildflower popping up in NY. Since I grew up elsewhere, the things that grow around here are all new to me. But it does seem to me that the wild things in NY are more beautiful than the ones I grew up with.
Neil Simon was a favorite of mine, too. His humor seemed to mesh pretty perfectly with mine and I will miss his slant on the world.
I love the wildflowers around here. They’re really beautiful. Right now, there are vivid golds and purples and yellows. Gorgeous.
Contemporary humor can be fraught with cruelty. I don’t like that. Give me Neil Simon’s brand of comedy any day.
Yes, indeed!
Lovely photo with the light through the wings! It’s a butterfly. Moths don’t close their wings together vertically. Sad weekend.
Ah, thank you, Cara!
Such a loss, but Neil Simon has left us with so many gifts. He was truly a master at intelligent comedy(the only kind I like). Seems like so much loss lately. Today my brother would have turned 65 but has been gone over two years…I miss him. Feeling a bit sad today. Loss often does that to me. I’ll try to get out and find some beauty in the outdoors today, that will make me feel better. Hugs to you and Don. Such a tease you are!
I know. Sadness at loss often hits me when I least expect it. Let yourself feel sad, Linda. xoxo
It is I believe one of the Brush-footed butterflies. Could be a Silvery checkerspot, Pearl Crescent or a Northern Crescent. They all look pretty similar in the field guide I have.
Lovely remembrance of a much lived icon.
Thank you Brenda! I’ll check out those butterflies!
Hi,
One of the easiest ways to tell the difference between a butterfly and a moth is to look at the antennae. Moths are feather like the butterfly have little round objects at the end of theirs.
Take Care,
Kaye
Park City, UT
Ah, thank you! I’m learning new things today, Kaye!
Hi Claudia!
I’m rushing out the door so just a quick response. The butterfly is a Skipper but I’m not sure which one off the top of my head. We have them here in Maryland and my neighbor and I were talking about them last summer. I’ll see if she remembers which type of Skipper it is. Meanwhile I’ve included a link to a great site for butterfly and moth identification. Hope it helps!
https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/
Thank you so much, Kim!
Ok, did a little more research now that I’m back home. It is either a Pearl Crescent or a Summer Crescent. If it has orange coloring on the bottom of it’s antenna clubs then it’s a Summer Crescent. I found it looking on the http://www.marylandbutterflies.com website. There’s a Skipper that looks almost the same but the wings are a slightly different shape. I hope that helps!
Thank you so much, Kim, for looking into this! I learned so much today!
I was so sorry to hear of Neil Simon’s passing. I love his movies…his writing…interesting story about him being a ‘doc’. I didn’t know that about him. Thank goodness we can still enjoy his brand of comedy through film!
The moth/butterfly is beautiful…sorry no help here on identifying it. We are still on flood alert. The city has expanded the areas most likely to be affected…we have been lucky so far. But…it all depends on the rain. We got a horrific storm yesterday…lots of water, and high winds. Seemed like all the neighbors were out afterwards cleaning up their yards and the streets. It’s all so sad to see…so many homes are being threatened now, some historic.
I’m looking forward to hearing about October. You are such a tease! ;)
I’m so, so sorry. It must be frightening. And the constant worry does not help. Take care, Donnamae.
Thanks…it looks like if we can get through til Wednesday morning, we might get a few days break. It’s this weather pattern we are in…we can’t seem to break out of it. Can’t believe I’m saying this….we need a Polar Vortex! ;)
Bite your tongue!!
I think the photo of the white flower above may be a plant called nightshade which might be poisonous.
Like your blog.
I’ll check that out, CC. Thank you.
Sad weekend indeed. Sen McCain Saturday night, and then yesterday afternoon, Neil Simon. A creative savant if there ever was one. And of course Aretha week before last. Sure hoping that’s the end of that “things-happen-in-threes” thing people always talk about. Well, one thing I know for sure – Sen McCain’s name will be burnished in history, while Chunky’s will be rusted & caked with excrement. Nuff said – climbing down off soapbox. Peace.
#Resist
#ProtectMueller
You can stay all the soapbox if you want, Janet! I’m in total agreement.
We , unfortunately, have nightshade popping up here and there in our garden in New Zealand. The bloom you have growing is definitely nightshade although I couldn’t see the leaves clearly and yes the berries are toxic. I should just pull it up.
I’ll look it up, Maureen. This is the first I’ve seen of it here. Thank you!
I don’t think that flower is Atropa belladona, but, maybe one of the Solanums. Both are given the common name nightshade.
Here’s an interesting piece on the Solanum nightshades.
http://www.eattheweeds.com/american-nightshade-a-much-maligned-edible/
and another
https://www.rootsimple.com/2011/11/deadly-nightshade-vs-black-nightshade/
That’s the conclusion I came to as well, Cara. Thanks for the links!
I was interested to hear of what you’d say about Neil Simon, so thanks for commenting on his passing and legacy along with personal observations and anecdotes. I figured you’d have had a connection.
The goldenrod is so striking!
A slight one, but a connection nonetheless!
I read this on Wiki: “He received more combined Oscar and Tony nominations than any other writer.”
Not at all surprised!
Rest in peace Senator McCain. A true patriot who served his country well with courage and dignity . Rest in peace Neil Simon, a talented man who brought much enjoyment to many. That monarch is gorgeous.
Marilyn
Thank you, Marilyn. I agree about Senator McCain.
It’s not a monarch but it sure has the coloring of a monarch. It’s actually very small, but it is a butterfly.
I love those little butterflies Claudia…there has been a pair of them flitting around my flowers here and a few days ago as I was watching them play together they suddenly flew up and landed on my chest!..I was so excited that it took all I had not to squeal with delight!!…What a thrill it must have been for Don to talk to the amazing Neil Simon…I can’t wait to find out what you two are up to for number 20!!!
How lovely! They like you, Nancy!