A Movie of the Highest Order --- Day 8/80

Walk: Pickleball, AMC Kabuki (The Last Black Man in San Francisco)
Distance: 1 Hour Pickle, 2.5 miles, small yoga stretch

Ciwt could go on and on with the pictures of/from The Last Black Man Standing. They are all important just the way every moment, word, visual, song is a mesmerizing and elemental part of this amazing film.  It is way beyond Ciwt's words: poetic, mythic, simple, profound, in the moment and timeless, classicall dramatic and grounded in confident new vision.  All with flawless, deeply affecting acting.  Makes Ciwt proud to be a movie goer.

4 Enjoyment --- Day 8/79

Walk: Hood, AMC Kabuki
Distance: 5 Miles

Toy Story 4 is so well done - visually, in terms of casting, directing, cleverness and heartwarmingness - Ciwt found it easy to overlook that the message(s) are a bit underwhelming.  But then she's not 10 years old  (or younger) so she doesn't know that they are perfectly pitched to what that age group resonates to will take forward through life.  She does know she wasn't as emotionally traumatized as she was watching Toy Story 3,  stayed to the very last credit and recommends the movie highly to all.

A Little History --- Day 8/78

Walk: J Kahn Park
Distance: 1 Mile, 2 Hours Pickleball

Yelamu Ohlone Village of Chutchui until 1775 (before Spanish established Mission Dolores)

Mission Dolores, est.1776 as part of Spain's California Chain of Missions 

Mission Dolores San Francisco Today, Oldest Surviving Structure in San Francisco

California's history has nothing to do with the Mayflower, Plymouth Rock or Pilgrims.

Come On, Ciwt, Just Five More... --- Days 8/75, 76 & 77

Walk: PGCC & Hood Errands, No, PGCC
Distance: 2 Miles & Exercise Class; Nada; Exercise Class and Personal Training

Ciwt has now lived long enough to decide to do something she has put off her whole life: work with a personal trainer.  Boring, expensive, but probably worth it for a few sessions at least.  Stay tuned as Ciwt tunes up.....

Sportsmanship, Yes --- Days 8/73 and 74

Walk: 1.No, Sunday Cleaning and Arm Chair Traveling  2. J. Kahn Pickleball Courts
Distance: 1. Bunch of Stairs, Small Yoga   2. Pickleball, Small Yoga

Ciwt really likes that our Warriors took out a full page ad in the Toronto paper to congratulate the Raptors on their NBA Victory.  Good Old-Fashioned sportsmanship is nice to see.

Light Night --- Day 8/72

Walk: Vogue Theater (Late Night)
Distance: 2 miles

What's not to like about Emma Thompson?  Ciwt thinks that every time she sees the wonderful English actress/comedienne in a movie.  And now we have Mindy Kaling who is climbing the 'What's...?' ladder.  Late Night was partially written, produced and starred in by Kaling along with an excellent cast.  A mixture of comedy and social commentary, Late Night isn't quite excellent, but an intelligent view into some of the unfunny aspects of the TV comedy world as well as a lightish, well-acted get away.

Winged Non-Victory --- Days 8/69, 70, 71

Walk: 1. PGCC (all day: golf clinics, bridge, lecture)  2. Marin Driving Day  3. J. Kahn Courts, Clay Theater
Distance: 1. Buckets of balls, a few Blocks 2. 2.5 miles, Exercise Class  3. 2 miles, Pickleball

Not sure if the image above is of de Lorean or Alec Baldwin who personified him in one of those reenactment docudramas.  So, that's one thing the filmmakers and Baldwin got right in Framing John deLorean, the lookalike. But, by the end of the film, Ciwt felt like the first people (filmmakers) were too insistent that deLorean was some sort of misguided hero instead of the core level creep Ciwt saw on the screen - and remembers during her lifetime.  

Birds Do It, Bees Do It, ....... --- Days 8/67 & 68

Walk: 1. Can't Remember, Toooo Hot  2. PGCC, Joe's
Distance: 1. ?, Easy Enjoyable  95 degree Yoga  2. 3 miles, exercise class 

So, yesterday Ciwt came home in the heat to find a helpless baby bird on her steps looking forlornly and helplessly up at her.  Of course, her heart went out as she cast around for ways to save this little orphan.  She didn't know much but she did know not to touch the baby bird because then the mother would refuse to feed it.  So Ciwt went inside to get a cardboard box to coax little birdie into.

Amazingly the chick walked right into the box.  But what next?  Now she could hear the mother frantically chirping and fluttering close so Ciwt lifted the box to a higher ledge where maybe the mother would do - what? - whatever mother birds do.  But the mother flew away and the bird thudded out of the box.

So Ciwt went inside and called various animal rescue organizations until she got an Animal Control 'ranger' on the line and asked what she should do.  His reply: Nothing, absolutely nothing, unless the bird is bleeding or close to traffic.  No on both those criteria.  So, the answer was Nothing.

And here's the explanation.  During the spring and early summer many people in urban and rural environments encounter fledgling birds and react like Ciwt by thinking they should save them.  But these babies are hopping around the ground and panicked because their mother have decided it is time for them to learn to fly and start fending for themselves.  This is is a shock to the babies - and to the humans who find them - but they and their mothers must be left to complete the task.  (Probably the mother bird was frantically chirping to Ciwt to "Get Away!  You are Not helping!").

Still thinking of the little chick's pathetic eyes and cheeps, Ciwt was doubtful about following the control guy's advice.  But at least she was able to sleep without feeling she was abetting a death.  When she woke this morning she went immediately down to the steps expecting to encounter a limp little mass of baby feathers.  Instead: nothing.  Somehow, in Mother Nature's way, the helpless bird had learned self-help.

Oh, and it turns out it is perfectly okay to handle a baby bird - and a bird's egg.  It's mother will not reject it because humans have touched it. Urban Myth for urban dwelling Ciwt.