We're into those hot, humid days where everything just melts outside. Algae starts growing over everything, and this weekend Mr. B. cleaned off a bunch of mildew from the garage door. However, it's excellent weather for tomatoes and cucumbers, which continue to produce at just the right pace for salads. And I love hanging clothes out on the line.
In the garden pests department: Remember how I accused the rabbits of eating hostas in the yard? Well, something has been eating my zucchini plants, which don't even get a chance to set fruit. One day there are flowers, the next day they're gone. I blamed the bunnies.
Mr. B. and I were putting the finishing touches on a new flowerbed early Monday morning, when the neighbor's cat strayed into the yard. He marched straight for the zucchini plant and started to munch away. Not just nibbles, but big mouthfuls; you could even hear the crunch, crunch. He left tooth marks on the leaf, and then moved over to the juicy stems. For a moment I just stared, then felt sorry for him. I shooed him away from the plant and offered him some water, but he wanted nothing of it.
At that point I was ready to spray him with a water bottle, just to get him away from the plant, but he left. Then daughter Anna casually remarked, "Did you know that in Africa, lions will sometimes go into gardens and eat melons?" I didn't.
Well, zucchini's a cucurbit, so I guess that counts. But it would have never occurred to me to suspect a cat.
* * * * * * *
We saw Dark Knight, and loved it. The comic book movie has now come of age, in moving beyond slapstick or the simple shoot-em-up. Ledger's performance was phenomenal, and he really didn't have to *do* all that much to look completely demented. It was a good example of the "uncanny valley" - he affected these small twitches, lip smacks, tongue movements, and held his head and body just a *bit* off, to give this really creepy effect.
It made me think that an accurate Gaston Leroux Phantom of the Opera movie would make use of similar acting - where Erik would look "uncanny" not so much from exaggerated face makeup, as from uncanny face and body movements which would leave the viewer very unsettled, without knowing consciously why.
In the garden pests department: Remember how I accused the rabbits of eating hostas in the yard? Well, something has been eating my zucchini plants, which don't even get a chance to set fruit. One day there are flowers, the next day they're gone. I blamed the bunnies.
Mr. B. and I were putting the finishing touches on a new flowerbed early Monday morning, when the neighbor's cat strayed into the yard. He marched straight for the zucchini plant and started to munch away. Not just nibbles, but big mouthfuls; you could even hear the crunch, crunch. He left tooth marks on the leaf, and then moved over to the juicy stems. For a moment I just stared, then felt sorry for him. I shooed him away from the plant and offered him some water, but he wanted nothing of it.
At that point I was ready to spray him with a water bottle, just to get him away from the plant, but he left. Then daughter Anna casually remarked, "Did you know that in Africa, lions will sometimes go into gardens and eat melons?" I didn't.
Well, zucchini's a cucurbit, so I guess that counts. But it would have never occurred to me to suspect a cat.
* * * * * * *
We saw Dark Knight, and loved it. The comic book movie has now come of age, in moving beyond slapstick or the simple shoot-em-up. Ledger's performance was phenomenal, and he really didn't have to *do* all that much to look completely demented. It was a good example of the "uncanny valley" - he affected these small twitches, lip smacks, tongue movements, and held his head and body just a *bit* off, to give this really creepy effect.
It made me think that an accurate Gaston Leroux Phantom of the Opera movie would make use of similar acting - where Erik would look "uncanny" not so much from exaggerated face makeup, as from uncanny face and body movements which would leave the viewer very unsettled, without knowing consciously why.
3 comments | Leave a comment











