The Big Wind-Maker

 Anna gave me a big fan she wasn't using.  It has a lot of text on one side.

Gwang-Ho was able to translate.  These are several poems about a lovely lake near Hangzhou.

I Never Went to the Moon

I just read the 1959 edition of You Will Go To The Moon.

It is a beginner's book with a 186-word vocabulary.  It's possible I read it as a child, but I don't remember.  I would have enjoyed it.

An unnamed boy representing "you" takes a trip to the moon without his parents; so I guess it's like summer camp, except he's the only child there.  The authors were aiming for scientific accuracy.  As you can see from the illustration, they use a 3-stage rocket.  They stop off at a space station on the way, just like in 2001: A Space Odyssey.

The Moon looks like a swell place.  I'm glad I did not read this book earlier, or I might have become embittered.

Sunday in Salem

Went to Salem on Sunday with Rosemary.  These metal, slotted boards had something to do with parking a long time ago..

 

 

 

We went to the PEM to see the Fabergé eggs.  But I only took pictures of non-egg items.  Some weren't even by Fabergé.

 

 

Rosemary wanted to pose with Kevin Garnet's picture before it was whisked away.

A Miraculous Bloom

This plant has been in our office for years; then suddenly it decides to bloom.  JB freaks out and insists that I put it on my blog. Okie doke!

A Baby Bun-Bun Lives by Loeb House

You'll Never Guess What I've Been Watching on Netflix Streaming...

...so I'll just tell you.  The Maze (1953) features a creepy old castle.  I'm a sucker for old movies featuring creepy old castles.  This castle is in Scotland.  The eponymous maze is part of the gardens and looks a lot like this one.

The family that has lived in the castle for generations has a terrible secret.  Many old families like this have a terrible secret, but this family's secret is goofy as well.  I will not reveal the nature of this secret; if you want to know it, watch the movie. (You could always fast forward to near the end.)

One Step Beyond  was a supernatural TV show running from 1959-1961.  I don't remember ever seeing it; perhaps it wasn't rerun the way Twilight Zone was.  (My parents wouldn't let me watch TZ when I was young. So they would've forbidden something as intense as OSB as well.)

Friends had suggested I watch Breaking Bad, since it was filmed in NM.  I put it in my Instant Queue, forgot about it, and remembered it last weekend.  I like it.  It's really dark humor.  For instance, in the second episode the main character has to choose between killing a drug dealer in cold blood or letting the guy go and risking his family's lives.  A lighter comedy would have him suffer moral pangs, abhorrence, and fear, but save him from making the decision by employing a goofy, unlikely accident to kill the drug dealer.  But BB doesn't coddle its characters.  It also does include bits of pretty NM scenery.

A Happy Half-day

I haven't worked Commencement Day in several years.  Today I covered the Widener desk.  Commencement Day at the library is quiet; most people come in for the toilet only.  I enjoy seeing the people in their fancy clothes.

Here's a crowd of visitors taking the usual photo.

As I left, I passed a group handing out buttons.  A guy asked me if I favored immigration reform and handed me one, which I did not put on because I didn't know what kind of reform they wanted.  I didn't stay to find out more because I wanted to catch my bus.  I didn't walk because it was very hot.  From what I can tell from their site, they seem OK.

Happy Birthday Chuck

Spring Update, or This Bud's for you

Here's a picture of the robin's nest in the Pusey Pit tree from above.  You can see the ribbons, at least.

Here's some flowering bushes in back of Wadsworth House.  I don't know what they are.

The flowers on these trees have already fallen off.

Harvard Yard is not too crowded.

London by Night

I'm currently reading The Victorian City by Judith Flanders.  In the chapter on prostitution (The Red-Lit Streets to Death) Flanders mentioned a cheap novel about a nice girl's descent into prostitution.  This is how I discovered London by Night.  I only read bits of it, but the colored plates interested me.

The author, Anonyma, had written many similar books.

This one has lots of illustrations.

I'm pretty sure these are in the public domain, so go ahead and check out these and others here.  However, if you purchased the copyright to the illustrations of William Gray, just let me know.

Brunch

I wanted to have brunch here last Sunday, but they were already reserved up through 2:30.  We went today. 

Here are my brunching partners.

On April 27 I went with Rosemary to the preview of Art in Bloom at the MFA.  I only took pictures of the arrangements I liked.  The hands-down winner was this green lady:

For my other photos, go here.

A Robin with a Ribbon

The Map people notified me of a new robin's nest visible from their windows.  But this robin found some ribbon to weave into her nest.  It's very charming.

 

The windows are pretty dirty, so I had a hard time getting a clear picture.

Bigger files here.

New Stuff on the Christian Science Church Plaza

I actually don't know if it's called the Christian Science Church Plaza, but that's what it is.  Rosemary and I were there on Saturday, because she had seen stuff going up and wanted to investigate.  One proud sculptress, who was installing her 2 "Tiger Mom" figures, said that on the following Saturday there would be a big reception with politicians speaking, etc.

This wind sculpture had many moving parts.

Out for some Fun

Here's that funny-looking building as seen from the entrance of the new wing of the Gardner, where I and my neighbor have come to see the Anders Zorn exhibit.

Here's the front facade.

Here's some of the plants in the greenhouse.

The stall doors in the women's room.  Beautiful!

In front of the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

This woman (college student?), whom we met going to lunch on the green line,  kindly allowed me to take her photo.  She and a couple of friends had been celebrating Holi.

Originally, we were going to eat at Cafe Jaffa, but that part of Boston was still closed off.  We strolled over to the closed area.  A woman had brought her therapy cats.

The media were still there in force.

My Only Contribution

My only contribution to the mass of Marathon Bombing photos is this snap of Norfolk St. today (Saturday) taken as I walked to work.  As you can see, the Somerville police left some of their barricades.  The barricades were still there when I came home.

Yesterday I stayed at home like a rule-abiding citizen.   I noticed from TV coverage that some people did come out and talk to the media people at Norfolk St.

My neighbor was out of milk, so she called up Albert who lives above his store, Albert's Market, across the street.  While Albert was taking care of her, a friend from church came in to buy lottery tickets.

Then when they lifted the shelter-at-home-order you could hear millions of dogs barking as they finally got their walks.

Too Late

It sounded like the Greek Independence Day Parade would last longer, but when when got to the Common, everything appeared to be over.  So I just got a few shots of people in costumes.  Then Rosemary and I went shopping.