Blog ~ Ruffled Feathers

Thoughts, ideas, perspectives, ruminations. If we make it through life without ruffling a few feathers, have we really lived?

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Portals – Day 995

Posted on by Lisa Weikel Leave a comment
Two of Wands – Rider, Waite, Smith deck – Photo: L. Weikel

Portals

A friend asked me the other day about the concept of portals and the number 11. After I mentioned the connection between the two in a recent post, she wondered whether the connection between 11s and portals is consistent between astrology, numerology, and shamanic work (where traveling between realms is an essential aspect of the tradition).

As an artist, she could easily see how the number 11 resembles the two sides of a doorway. But her question plumbed far deeper than the superficial observation.

In my experience, two pillars, but possibly two of almost anything depending upon context, often evoke the energetic desire of the observer to go through or between them. There’s an etheric barrier implied, an energetic tension between the two columns, that beckons to be pierced.

Maybe it’s the tendency for us humans to be fixated on duality that fosters this sense. We tend to see duality all over the place: in/out, up/down, male/female, black/white. So of course if there’s a threshold in front of us, there’s the tendency for us to think in terms of here/there.

Where?

A doorway intuitively leads us from here to there. So it’s a significator; it announces to us that we are leaving where we’ve been and entering new or different territory.

I can’t remember where or from whom I first learned that 11s are portals. I think it was probably more of a symbolic association than anything else. But as soon as I began my metaphysical studies almost 40 years ago, I realized how prevalent is the consideration of 11s as something special.

Tarot

As I’ve mentioned in other posts, it took me a long time to feel comfortable exploring the tarot. But once I realized its value as an amazing means of accessing psychological and spiritual insight, the symbolism – when I gave myself permission to free associate – seemed to just fall into place intuitively. Although when I reread that sentence, I wonder if it was the development of my confidence in my ability to intuit symbols that finally helped me appreciate the value of the tarot.

Hmm. A thought for another time.

All I can say at this moment in time is that pondering this question has made me pull out a bunch of 11s in just one tarot deck. I want to use them as examples of how they lead from one state of reality, understanding, awareness, or experience to another.

But it’s taking me down a rabbit hole and I realize I don’t have nearly enough time to explore this and have some fun with it.

11s

Suffice it to say for the moment that I have a special relationship to 11s. Not only do I have 11s showing up for myself numerologically, but of course Karl died on 11/11/11. I’ve always felt he couldn’t resist all the portals that showed up in front of him – so he went through and didn’t return.

For now, I’m just going to comment on how the Two of Wands, pictured above, shows a person on the brink of moving out into a whole new world. He just needs to go through the doorway formed by the Wands on either side of him. It’s his choice. The world is in his hands.

And there’s a lot more for us to explore.

(T-116)

Among Us – Day 994

Posted on by Lisa Weikel Leave a comment
First Glimpse – Photo: L. Weikel

Among Us

It stands to reason that animals in the wild must be watching us and keeping an eye on our unpredictable movements a lot more often than we realize. They’ve lived among us long enough to know that we’re the dangerous ones. Deer, for instance, have been hunted in our area for untold generations.

Yet deer around here are almost considered pets to some people, while others continue family traditions of hunting and keep their stand-up freezers filled. I imagine it must be confusing for deer. Do they trust these noisy two-leggeds? Or should they bolt, leaping their way to safety?

It’s a decision they make at their own peril.

I think a deep preservation instinct is actually more prevalent in those animals that are a step or two on the wilder side than deer. They’re the ones who only rarely divulge their presence when we’re near them. I’m thinking about the coyotes, foxes, and bears – not to mention owls and eagles.

All Eyes On Me

During my recent walks, though? Oh, my goodness. I’ve been aware of so many pairs of eyes on me! It’s almost felt as though Spartacus and I have been receiving escorts all along our route. Over the past week or so in particular, I can confidently state that I cannot walk more than 100 yards without being able to look carefully around my surroundings and spot a pair of eyes locking with mine.

Just this past week I’ve had at least four extended conversations with young bucks, their budding antlers covered in fur. I could tell by their behavior that they know they’re ‘big boys’ and probably shouldn’t fraternize with the two legged. But it’s my experience that we’re all hard-wired to crave connection and communion.

It’s a delicate balance.

First Glance

Tonight, in spite of the rain that continued to fall sporadically throughout the day, I managed to get in a quick two mile walk. I was surprised to see ‘greeters’ all along the way. I almost felt as though many of them were turning their heads toward me and then gesturing to see if I was still coming along.

A couple seemed to literally play hide and seek with me behind a large tree. That was adorable, but I didn’t manage to get a photo of how ‘off’ they were as far as their body awareness.

Another pair, though, seemed to come into focus for me as I stared at a field I was walking past. As you can see from the photo at the top of this post, one deer was just barely visible to me as I walked past her. I don’t even know what caught my eye, but it did.

She seemed to be torn. Part of her trusted me. And yet…

Coming Into Focus

The second time I raised my iPhone to take her photo, I realized there was another deer standing quite close beside her. Neither one moved a muscle. They knew I saw them, and I knew they knew. As a result, neither they nor I moved a muscle. (What amazes me is what a good boy Spartacus is.)

It felt good for me to discern their presence. In a way it reminded me of looking at one of those engraved photos that reveal other images in them when you look at them long enough.

I may only very rarely catch a glimpse of a coyote or a fox or an owl. But the deer play with me.

While it’s sometimes disconcerting to sense that eyes are on me, watching me, from one moment to the next, I’m mostly comforted by it. I feel as if we humans are mostly woefully oblivious, and my compatriots along our walkway are simply training me to be a better neighbor.

Bingo – Photo: L. Weikel

(T-117)

Collective Action – Day 993

Posted on by Lisa Weikel Leave a comment
Luna Moth Caterpillar – Photo: L. Weikel

Collective Action

It’s been a long time since I wrote about one of the simplest ways available to engage in collective action to combat the effects of climate change. Participating in the Perelandra EoP (Essence of Perelandra) Biodiversity Project is easy, simple, and – from my perspective – effective.

I’ve only reminded you of this project once in 2021! But I have to say, after the intense weather events we’ve been experiencing lately, it’s crossed my mind a number of times that this process could very well be shifting something ever so subtly so that the ravages of climate change are felt just a little bit less on our land.

Some Observations

One thing I’ve noticed since I began engaging in the EoP Biodiversity Project has to do with rainwater. Specifically, the effects of the massive rainstorms we’ve been having seem to have lessened a bit. Our cellar still gets wet, but the water doesn’t seem to reach the inordinate depths it used to. (Thank goodness.) Funny thing is, I think there’s been more rain than there used to be when the cellar would flood worse.

Another example of the possible balancing effects of engaging in the EoP Biodiversity Project on the 1st of every month is the health of our birds. I’ve been keeping a hawk eye (ha ha) on our songbirds and so far so good. All my winged ones seem to be enjoying robust good health.

I’m also cautiously optimistic about the Spotted Lanternfly’s apparent (hopefully) dwindling population. I hope I’m not feeling too confident too early, but the signs (or lack thereof) seem auspicious.

So Easy

It occurs to me that it’s possible that the five minutes I take on the 1st of every month to walk outside, set the intention (the exact words and steps are provided on the Perelandra website), put drops in a spoon, shift the energy to the intention, and give thanks is bringing all the elements and life forms associated with our land into better balance between each other. As balance is achieved between everything that lives here, the land as a whole has an opportunity to heal itself and make adjustments to deal with the rapidly changing climate.

A cool part of this process is that I don’t act all ‘top of the food chain’ know-it-all when it comes to dealing with the rest of the Intelligence that exists on and in this land. Nope. I simply set the intention to ask for and provide strength and support to counter and reverse climate change stress and the resulting loss and extinction of (my personal environment’s) biodiversity.

Ultimately, it seems to me that I’m basically just getting out of the way and facilitating Nature taking care of Herself. This process may very well just be ‘busy work’ to make the human feel like she’s doing something. But you know what? I appreciate that.

I want to be part of the solution instead of wasting time feeling guilty for being part of the problem. Engaging in the monthly Project is such a simple way to give back to the land that supports you every day of your life.

Give it a try! Engage with your unique Nature Spirits.

If you don’t have any Essence of Perelandra on hand, please consider investing in a small bottle now so you can join me – and those across the world who are participating – next month.

(T-118)

Changed Our Tune – Day 992

Posted on by Lisa Weikel 2 Comments
I Dare You to Try Putting Me Out – Photo: L. Weikel

Changed Our Tune

Oh, how we changed our tune. The photo above is of a cat that is saying, “If you try to put me out, I will become feral in a way that you’ve never seen before. You will regret your decision and require stitches for the gaping wounds I intend to inflict upon you. You will rue your decision; of that, I am certain.” Don’t be fooled by that coy expression on his face. Trust me when I tell you, the flicking of the tail is deadly serious.

And it’s true. For the last four or five days, I’ve had to struggle to ‘put the cat out’ before I came to bed, and most of those nights I’ve failed spectacularly. Meaning I’ve given up and gone to bed, resigned to the fact that the beast will wake Karl up and demand to be let out when it’s more to his liking.

As I’ve written before, Cletus fancies himself a badass, Philly-style, and yet nothing could be further from the truth. He excels at getting his own way. And it’s not just with us. He wields his massive, long-haired tail like a scepter – or something more dangerous.

This Happens Occasionally

This refusal to take his normal dark-hour pilgrimage is initially perplexing. But it’s happened before, so it’ll likely happen again. After all, we have a lot of wild creatures living in our midst. And it only stands to reason that sometimes things can get a little scary for our handsome boy.

And yes, I do believe it’s his handsomeness that is making his nightly forays less desirable. He’s attracted a suitor and it’s not to his liking.

Karl and I both noticed his weird behavior as he approaches our kitchen door lately. Clearly, it’s that time of night and his wanderlust has once again risen unbidden. He wants to go out. He needs to go out. He begs, he yowls, he follows us around and asks to go out. He pulls the massive wooden door to our kitchen open with his paw, creaking as it swings open.

But when we walk toward the door? He backs away. He hisses at us. He acts as if it’s our idea that he go out and play with others. If I manage to corral him safely enough toward the kitchen door that I feel I can nudge him into outside, he furtively looks both ways as he almost holds his breath and plunges out the door. It’s the weirdest thing. He almost looks like a cop bursting into an abandoned building, his handgun cocked and ready for anything.

It’s quite obvious he’s been spooked and is afraid he’ll get ambushed yet again.

Could Be Anything – But I Think It’s Love

As I’ve mentioned, even just sitting here on the couch, I’ve heard foxes yipping and owls calling in to each other in the trees. Coyotes live in the vicinity as well – and there have even been a few bear sightings recently. Opossums routinely munch on the sunflower seeds.

But it was last night that I discovered a clue. I’ve made it a habit to turn on both the porch light and the garage’s floodlight before I let the cat out. Just in case, I want to scare anything away.

Last night Mr. (or very well may be Mrs.) Gorgeous was back on the premises. I saw it hanging around the garage.

Aha. It’s Pepé Le Pew! Cletus has a suitor! And a pungent one, at that.

Unsurprisingly, it all makes sense.

Gorgeous, Again – Photo: L. Weikel

(T-119)

Bugs – Day 991

Posted on by Lisa Weikel Leave a comment
Meditative Bug Pose – Photo: L. Weikel

Bugs

“No bugs were harmed in the writing of this post.”

I came across this striking creature as I was sweeping our porch. For some odd reason, I’ve been noticing and appreciating the peculiar beauty of insects lately. There was something about the pristine, shiny blackness of its body armor and the way its legs come together. Its zen-like posture looked meditative to me. Even as I look at this photograph again, it reminds me of something that I can’t quite articulate.

Curious, I carefully flipped this guy over and was delighted to see the striking nature of its dramatic camouflage. Clearly, from above, this insect is designed to resemble the ‘eyes’ of a much bigger creature. In a way it looks a lot like some butterflies that employ that same natural strategy.

Cool Bug – Photo: L. Weikel

I’m guessing bugs that have eyes this big must taste especially nasty to birds. Either that or they’re simply perceived to be too large a mouthful for most of the predators that might otherwise be interested in eating them.

Anyway, true to my first sentence, I think this beetle (or whatever it was) was playing opossum. Once I turned it over so I could admire its back, it quickly scurried away, making it clear to me that it had a lot of life left to live. Or at the very least, its encounter with me was not the end of the road.

Sign of Late Summer

Last night I once again had our front door open while writing my post. Unlike several evenings before, when a blanket of silence had settled over everything and it seemed like everything in my world was holding its breath, the first katydids of the season announced their presence.

I love the jaggedy zzz zzz zzz of katydids. But alas, as we are constantly and sometimes painfully reminded, time is relentless. Their scritchety noises are a harbinger of the dog days of summer that are right around the corner.

(T-120)

Sunflowers – Day 990

Posted on by Lisa Weikel Leave a comment
Look away?!  – Photo: L. Weikel

Sunflowers

I did a double take when I drove past a nearby field earlier today and saw row after row of towering sunflowers. Usually when I see fields of sunflowers I slow down so I can admire their bright and sunny faces. This time, though, it took me a moment to even realize the extraordinary sight I was seeing.

I drove past the field and found myself feeling like something wasn’t right. It was almost as if I’d witnessed something that simply didn’t compute in my brain. It was a mild form of that notion that when we perceive something either visually or aurally, but have no prior context or experience with this occurrence, our brains scurry to try to find something within our internal ‘data banks’ that make sense to us. Or else we ignore it altogether.

Most of us have experienced this at one time or another – and have heard our brains whirring within, trying to find a ‘match’ to help us identify the subject of our experience. I know there have also been research studies that have tracked how our ability to ‘see’ something is impacted by our expectations.

I actually think that’s why it took me a bit of a drive beyond the field to realize what I’d just seen.

Shunning

I did a U-turn to return to the field as soon as my comprehension clicked. Yup. It was a field full of sunflowers with their backs turned. I thought the entire scenario was especially odd since the sun was a good 90 degrees in another direction. What in the world were these sunflowers so fascinated by as to eschew their beloved sun?

It truly did feel as though they had turned their collective backs on the traffic driving by their field. They were shunning the traffic, perhaps?

I supposed that’s a possibility. But I likened their behavior more to the utterly appalling admission by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy that they hadn’t even watched the testimony of the four officers before the House Select Committee yesterday.

Honestly, I find that level of disrespect for (a) the officers who showed up for work on January 6th, 2021 and actually worked to save these lawmakers’ lives; and (b) the process undertaken by our government to conduct legitimate oversight of and investigation into exactly what unfolded on that date, why it happened, and who was behind it, utterly inexcusable.

Disrespect

I do not understand how elected representatives can so profoundly disrespect the foundations of our government and the Constitution upon which our country was founded (and which they specifically took an oath to uphold and defend). Disrespect is being shown at every level and, quite frankly, I believe our hearts are wounded every day as we observe this taking place before our very eyes.

It is excruciating to stand by and watch those with the greatest power appear to remain unscathed by their betrayals of our country, our laws, and our norms. I shudder to think what conclusions our youth are drawing when they see adults – and some with very high status within our country (military, elected, and appointed individuals) – acting like petulant bullies and disgusting, uncouth vandals.

Sunlight

I wish we could be like the sunflowers I saw today and simply, collectively, turn our backs on these people. I’m afraid the only way for us to do that is in the voting booth.

What’s scary is that these bullies are doing their level best to undermine our belief in the sun of democracy: the voting systems in our country. They’re trying to fool us all by saying the sun no longer shines and fooling us into installing spotlights instead. Then, all at once, they plan to turn out the lights and allow chaos to ensue.

We’re at a huge moment in our country’s evolution. And we all need to be paying attention. Much as we wish we could turn our backs on the insanity and disrespect, we mustn’t. It hurts to watch it unfold, but we must not stand in denial of what’s unfolding before our eyes. We need to see it; we need to call it out; and we must do everything we can to reclaim the truth of the sun.

(T-121)

Smackdown – Day 989

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Who’s Fenced In? – Photo: L. Weikel

Smackdown

Well, so much for all the good feelings I was experiencing last night when I wrote about being an Olympics geek. Yeah, I do enjoy watching them and welcome the inspiring stories as a distraction from the utter insanity that’s unfolding all around us. But wow, I don’t know about you, but tonight I felt like a pro-wrestler on the receiving end of a smackdown – and no amount of distraction can help.

Of course I’m talking about the testimony that was given by the four police officers present and defending the Capitol on Insurrection Day. I’m not going to discuss that testimony nor am I going to link to any clips.

Suffice it to say, it’s heartrending to hear their first-hand accounts of the despicable behavior heaped upon them by their fellow Americans.

Appalled

And while I did watch the Olympics tonight, there was a sadness in the air, which made it much harder to use them as the distraction I’d hoped. I’ll probably write a separate post on the maturity, wisdom, and grace exhibited by Simone Biles. The lessons on our humanity just keep on coming.

But I’m sad to say I’m sitting here trying to write this post and my heart is fluttering a mile a minute. I just made the mistake of looking at Twitter, which had a clip of one of the officers who testified today, Michael Fanone, appearing with Don Lemon on CNN just this evening.

The clip contained an unredacted telephone message that was left for Fanone while he was testifying. And it is horrific. I’m linking to it here because we need to know that this is the type of stuff that’s happening in our country now. We need to face this head-on. This is how a police officer who testified to his personal experience of being brutalized, tased, and threatened with his own gun, all while defending our elected representatives, is being treated. And know this: this behavior is being actively stoked by Fox, among others.

It’s appalling.

A Gentle Reminder

I’m literally feeling short of breath as I write this. Never would I ever have believed people would feel comfortable doing what they did on January 6th, and worse, feel even more emboldened six months later. These home-grown terrorists feel so self-righteously empowered that they feel free to to heap this threatening and unhinged diatribe on an officer. For testifying to the truth as he experienced it.

Where do we go from here? I’m not sure.

But as simple-minded as it may seem, I keep seeing in my mind’s eye a photo I took just the other day of a deer standing right beside me as I walked along the road. It was probably the fifth or sixth deer I’d seen that day – two earlier had literally been ‘young bucks,’ with gorgeous furry antlers budding from their crowns.

Perhaps I keep seeing that deer in my mind’s eye because I need to bring gentleness to myself. I need to breath into my pain at witnessing such shocking hatred and ask for the wisdom of calmness in the face of abject fear. Not my fear. Their fear. The fear being stoked every day by right wing media and morally bankrupt politicians who will do anything for power.

Gentleness. Wisdom. Oh – and maybe I (we) should also call to mind the Protection offered in the card I chose for us the other day.

(T-122)

Olympics Geek – Day 988

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Experts in another form of breast stroke – Photo: L. Weikel

Olympics Geek

I’m a total Olympics geek. I remember watching them religiously every four years as I was growing up. For my entire youth, I seem to recall not only the Olympic jingle (for lack of a better word), but also ABC’s “Wide World of Sport” and “the agony of defeat” reminding us all of the risks of ski jumping.

Both summer and winter Olympics were essential viewing in our household. I can’t even claim to prefer one season’s competitions over the other. Like most of us, I have my favorites in both.

I don’t know, though. This year, watching the Olympics is even more exhilarating and cathartic. I’m surprised. I was not expecting to enjoy them this year.

I’ll admit I was feeling a bit ‘judge-y’ over whether or not they should even hold these iconic competitions this year, given the ongoing Covid risk. It’s appalling to consider that we’re collectively putting at risk the most elite athletes of the world, particularly as the Delta variant is spreading like wildfire. And yet it appears they’re taking the risk of infection seriously, at least – and are doing their best to keep people safe, and keeping attendees to a minimum.

But the – shall we call it robust fraternization – amongst the athletes in their ‘down time’ strikes me as extremely hard to regulate. Encouraging these (predominantly) teenaged and twenty-something people in the utter prime of their lives and peak physical hubris to keep their masks on and maintain social distancing seems a bit naïve.

At least it appears from the broadcast that protocols are being followed by athletes, coaches, judges, and the few other people permitted on-premises. It’s actually the celebrations afterward that are at greatest risk of turning into Olympic-sized super spreader events.

One Great Moment

If you’re sports-inclined, you’ve probably already seen what I want to share with you tonight. If you’re not, I nevertheless encourage you to check out the links below. Because as truly and utterly amazing as it is to watch people who are icons in their sports, such as the Simone Bileses of the world, it’s the unexpected, come-from-nowhere victories that capture my heart and imagination the most.

Two amazing instances come to mind that I want to share, just in case you haven’t been watching. The first was in the 400 m. men’s freestyle swimming event. An 18 year old from Tunisia, Ahmed Hafnaoui, qualified for the final event with the slowest time, placing him in the 8th (outside) lane. I read somewhere that the odds of his winning the event were 5000 to 1.

Of course, you can imagine what happened. Even better, here is a clip of his family and friends back in Tunisia as they watched the event unfold on tv.

This is the stuff that makes the Olympics precious to people from all over the world – and worth watching in these stressed out and worrisome times.

Another Olympic Tear-Jerker

Another such moment also comes from a swimming event: the 100 m. breast stroke. If you didn’t happen to watch tonight, here’s a split screen video of the race itself and the people in the winner, 17 year old Lydia Jacoby’s, hometown of Seward, ALASKA, reacting as they watched her pull off her Olympic moment.

Last but not least the reaction of Jacoby’s teammate, Lilly King, was an Olympic-sized class act. King was slated to win the event but took home the bronze instead. She hadn’t lost this event in five years of competition. The grace with which she responded to Jacoby’s stunning win was simply epic. (Pay attention to the last few paragraphs of this article.)

Finally

Before I sign off for the evening, I have to share a simply hilarious spoof gymnastics commentary. I hope you can access the link (if you can’t, try this). If you’re anything like me, you’ll get more out of it (between tears of laughter) each time you watch/listen to it.

I’m loving the distraction from the chaos of our political woes, existential anxieties, and myriad Covid crises stemming from fear, suspicion, rampant spread, illness, and death. I just hope everyone at the Olympics stays safe and healthy and all the athletes have the opportunity to realize the magic of pursuing their greatest dreams.

(T-123)

Late Nights – Day 987

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Swooping Cloud Owl – Photo: L. Weikel

Late Nights

I’ve had a couple of really late nights recently. I was up into the wee hours of the morning last night writing my post and yet I didn’t make up for lost time (if that’s even possible) by sleeping in.

While I did manage to squeeze in a walk – and a longer one at that – it nevertheless felt like my timing was off all day. For instance, most of the day there was a rather reliable blanket of overcast lurking above. It managed to shield us from the direct rays of the sun for most of the day, but yowza! When the sun did break through, the air instantaneously turned even swampier than a moment earlier. The air became so thick it was almost like breathing jello through a straw.

I waited and waited, keeping an eye on the weather and hoping something would shift enough to make a ‘walk-around’ an activity that would make either Spartacus or me keel over. Finally, as the afternoon became late, we decided to set out. We even decided, perhaps impulsively, to do a walk-about instead.

Naturally, I kid you not, as soon as Spartacus and I started down our flagstone path, a handful of fat splats of rain fell from the sky. Internally I shrugged. I’d waited long enough. A glance at the variations of darkness mottling the sky above me suggested that these were mere drops squeezed from the clouds above because there simply was no more room at the inn.

Chanced It – Worth It

We decided to set out on our walk in spite of those aggressively hefty raindrops nipping at our heels. It was a wise decision, as not a single drop fell upon us again for the entire four miles.

In fact, as we crested Fox Kit hill (I just named it for this lovely one from exactly three months ago) the skies had cleared and magnificent thunderheads were dressing up in the distance. One, however, looked distinctly like an owl swooping in on us.

I’m partial to owls, as many of you know. They, like hawks, are messengers of a sort.

Judging from the size of this Cloud Owl, I’d say if there’s any correlation between messenger and message, I’d better pay attention.

So I’m going to address the immediate message before me: I’m heading to bed. If there’s more to this message, I trust revelations will continue (if I’m lucky).

Here’s to all of us as we head into this final week of July 2021. I wonder what will be revealed this week.

Another Perspective of Swooping Cloud Owl – Photo: L. Weikel

(T-124)

Sideways – Day 986

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Settling In at the Drive-In – Photo: L. Weikel

Sideways

Today was a day. It started with a flat tire and progressed (regressed?) from there. We all have them, though. Those days when we wake up and feel a vague sense of anticipation – only to have everything go sideways in completely unexpected ways.

The stress only escalated when the ‘donut-spare’ was discovered to be flat as well. We seemed to be in the midst of a comedy of errors. Murphy’s Law seemed to be the operating principle for several hours. Eventually, though (after morning turned into lunchtime and then progressed into a hot and sticky afternoon before we accomplished a darn thing), we discovered that the flat was caused by a nail, thus rendering it easily reparable. Yes! I’ll take it! And call it a small, if significant, win.

Things Got Better

But you know what? We managed to salvage the day and retrieve our attitudes from the mulch pile where they’d been stuffed earlier. Saving the day was accomplished by indulging in the relaxing and nostalgic fun of going to a drive-in movie again. You might recall our foray into this ‘old-timey’ manner of enjoying the summer while in the safe (both outdoor and distanced) company of other people last year.

Re-reading that post and looking at the photos of the animation that danced across the big screen during the intermission between the main feature and the second movie of the evening makes me laugh all over again. I love that the Shankweiler’s Drive-In keeps those dated animated spots.

Honestly, it’s amazing to see how much more risqué and sarcastic a lot of early tv and movie entertainment used to be. Old-fashioned humor is often much more subtle than we’re used to now. In a lot of ways, in spite of the much more overt sexuality, violence, and profanity we see nowadays, sarcasm and naughtiness was every bit as present 50-60 years ago. Viewers just had to work a little harder to ‘get’ it. Or maybe it’s that we don’t expect it to be as odd as it actually was.

It was quite the dance… – Photo: L.Weikel

Grateful

I’m just grateful we were able to salvage the day.

In case you’re wondering, we saw Black Widow. I thought it was good; mostly I enjoyed the dialogue and personalities of some of the characters. I have to admit, though, I find seemingly non-stop ten minute long relentless footage of car chases or shoot-outs or aerial assaults extremely tedious and boring. Just because the special effects are available doesn’t mean we have to be relentlessly bludgeoned over the head with them. Then again, it is a Marvel movie, so it was in character.

The second movie was Cruella. I admittedly had pretty low expectations for it, to be honest. And given our experience with the second movie of the evening last year, we’d made a pact that if it really stank we’d leave early. Given all those doubts, it was pretty good. It had more recognizable faces in it than I was expecting and it gave an interesting backstory to the villain of 101 Dalmations.

All in all, the day turned out tremendously better than it started. Thanks, Tiffany, for the great suggestion!

“The Oldest Drive-In in America” – Photo: L. Weikel

(T-125)