Movies

Quarterly Look Back - 3rd Quarter 2024 /  by Todd Henson

Looking back at the third quarter of 2024

I try to think of something new or interesting to say in these intros each quarter, and every so often I think I manage to find something. But most times it does end up sounding very similar to previous intros. And I think that’s where we are this quarter. But I hope that doesn’t dissuade you from checking out the various sections below, to see a sampling of the photography I’ve shared, the books I’ve read, the movies I’ve watched, the music I’ve listened to, and any other little ramblings about life. I’m hoping something will catch your eye.

And now on to the look back.

Photography

For a while now I’ve felt that I haven’t created quite the range of blog content I once did, that the posts I wrote were primarily Mostly Photos and Field Notes Updates. So this quarter I made a concerted effort to expand it, and I think I was successful, even adding a new category of post on Architecture. I will try to keep creating a range of content, but let me know if you enjoy the range or if you prefer a more narrow focus.

Architecture

Saint James’ Episcopal Church, Warrenton, Virginia

Before & After

Before & After: Overcast Blues on Aquia Creek

Mostly Photos

Mockingbird in C8

White and Blue Balloon Flowers on a Hot Summer Day

Polypore and Feather Moss Galore

Random Thoughts

The Beauty of a Gravel Road

Reviews

Book Finds – July 2024

Backroads Buildings: In Search of the Vernacular by Steve Gross & Susan Daley

Techniques

Color Fringing Fungus: An Example of Chromatic Aberration

Trip Report

A Rainy Spring Drive Over the Blue Ridge Mountains

The Burial Ground at George Washington Birthplace National Monument

Lakota Ranch in Remington, Virginia

Reading

I’ve had a good quarter of reading. I read more books this quarter than the previous two, and more overall pages, as well. Thankfully, the average rating I’ve given the books has hovered just over 4 out of 5 throughout the year. I love when I enjoy the majority of what I read. I feel like I had a decent mix of older books with more recent releases. I also mixed in non-fiction and photography with my more common genres of science fiction, fantasy and mystery/thriller.

Below are the books I read, and further below you’ll find a short description of some of my favorites of the quarter. Have you read any of these? Are you curious about any of them?

The books I consumed this quarter (paper, ebook, and audio).

Here’s the full list of books: The Sounds of Life: How Digital Technology is Bringing Us Closer to the Worlds of Animals and Plants by Karen Bakker, All This and More by Peng Shepherd, The Perfumist of Paris (The Jaipur Trilogy 3) by Alka Joshi, Season of Storms (The Witcher) by Andrzej Sapkowski, The Dispossessed: An Ambiguous Utopia (Hainish Cycle) by Ursula K. Le Guin, A Middle-earth Traveler: Sketches from Bag End to Mordor by John Howe, Murder in Mesopotamia (Hercule Poirot) by Agatha Christie, The Most Secret War: Army Signals Intelligence in Vietnam by James L. Gilbert, Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH by Robert C. O’Brien, White Mountain Trails by Winthrop Packard, Backroads Buildings - In Search of the Vernacular by Steve Gross & Susan Daley, The Rule: How I Beat the Odds in the Markets and in Life - and How You Can Too by Larry Hite, The Veiled Throne (Dandelion Dynasty 3) by Ken Liu, The Maid by Nita Prose, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest by Ken Kesey, System Collapse (The Murderbot Diaries 7) by Martha Wells, Dr No (James Bond) by Ian Fleming, The Night Guest by Hildur Knútsdóttir.

And of those, my favorites were:

The Maid by Nita Prose

This was a perfectly timed feel good read for me, so it’s possible some of my enjoyment stemmed from it being the right book at the right time. It tells of Molly, a maid who may be a little different from some of us, and how she gets caught up in some nefarious goings-on at the hotel she works at. Some great characters in this story. Can’t wait to read the next book.

A Middle-earth Traveler: Sketches from Bag End to Mordor by John Howe

A fantastic book for any hardcore fan of J.R.R. Tolkien’s work and of John Howe’s artwork. It features lots of artwork, both from printed materials and that used during the making of the movies. A wonderful way to look back at that world in all its various forms.

Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH by Robert C. O’Brien

I first read this book when very young and in school. It is one of the few that really stuck with me, so when I saw it published as an audiobook I decided to do a reread, and what a wonderful read it was. It felt fresh, it had been so long since I first read it. And I felt similar feelings as I did the first time, a sense of loss, happiness, hope and mystery.

One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest by Ken Kesey

One of those many books that folks often read in school but I somehow missed. What a wild ride between sanity and insanity, between caring treatment and tyrannical malice. A fascinating study of multiple characters, sad at times, funny at others. I’m very glad I finally read this one.

Movies & Anime

Films I watched this quarter.

It’s been a mixed bag of movies this quarter. On a low note and to start the quarter off, Breach, starring Bruce Willis, wasn’t worth the time. It felt like a low-budget made-for-TV movie with poor writing and poor acting.

Leave No Trace, on the other hand, though perhaps also a lower budget film, had a powerful story showing the love between a father and daughter trying to survive on their own terms and the difficulties of life catching up to them. I really enjoyed this one.

Meg 2: The Trench, The Darkest Minds, and Space Milkshake were all fairly average and what you might expect. Meg 2 was a Jason Statham followup to The Meg. Pretty much enough said. The Darkest Minds was a dystopian YA film about youths with special powers trying to find their way in the world. Mostly enjoyable, if fairly predictable. And Space Milkshake was just ridiculous, as the name would imply, and as they appeared to try to make it. I do think this may have been a made-for-TV film and stars several folks known for their TV roles. Ridiculous, but I do enjoy this sort of ridiculous.

Fallen, starring Denzel Washington back in 1998, was a rewatch, and one I very much enjoyed all over again, even though this time around I knew the premise. This is one where if you’re curious to see it you may be better off not reading anything about it, just give it a try, see if it works for you.

Marvelous and the Black Hole was a touching story of a young girl trying to deal with the death of her mother and the changes that happened afterwards with her family and life. She becomes angry, very angry, and lashes out at everyone, until she meets someone who slowly over time begins to change everything for her.

And I’ve continued watching episodes of the 2003 anime series, Planetes, about future space crews whose job it is to clean up all the accumulating debris in orbit to avoid collisions and damage to functioning satellites and stations. I’m really enjoying this series and I’m almost finished with it.

Music

This quarter two of the songs I’m sharing are more folksy than rock and are from German Bands. But there’s also a song from an American songwriter/guitarist and a Japanese vocalist. I hope you enjoy the selection.

Versengold - The Devil is a Barmaid

What a fun folksy song, this time sung in English instead of German (their first in English). Apparently the band lost a bet with their friends from Kissin’ Dynamite and now they’ve written a cover for their song, The Devil is a Woman.

Dämmerland x Saltatio Mortis - Verlorene Träume

And here’s a second song with German songwriters and performers, this time singing in German. I’ve been on a bit of a Saltatio Mortis kick lately, so I was drawn to this melodic collaboration.

Marty Friedman - The Perfect World (featuring +α/あるふぁきゅん。)

And to close things out here’s a rock song from a few years back. I’ve been meaning to showcase this song since it first came out and now it’s finally popped to the top of my list. I love Marty Friedman’s guitar work and song writing and I think the singer adds a lot to this one. This is my kind of rock song. Also check out a live collaboration between Ichika Nito & Marty Friedman from my 2023 4th Quarter Look Back. 

And if you’re curious to see if I’ve purchased any music lately you can check out my collection in bandcamp.

 

Life

Last quarter I mentioned how my interests can be a bit scattershot and there are so many I sometimes struggle to keep up with them. It’s not unusual for some to wither away as I just don’t manage to make enough time for them. But they’re always still there in the background just waiting for their chance.

I’d begun learning guitar during the pandemic lockdowns, and though I never really learned to play through an entire song I did learn a number of chords and enjoyed just strumming and feeling those vibrations on my chest. But it’s been a while since I’ve picked up my guitar.

Recently my father and I visited a good friend who plays a number of different instruments, and he let me try out his Taylor GS Mini, a beautiful little guitar with a lot of personality. Sitting with the guitar in my lap I realized I’d forgotten how to play many of the chords I once knew. But as I randomly strummed strings they slowly came back to me and between strumming random noise I’d occasionally make a semi-pleasing set of tones. And this surfaced two feelings within me. The first was: I’d love to get myself one of these GS Mini’s! And of course the second was: Why don’t I start pulling out my own guitar and get back on track learning new skills and maybe learn how to carry a tune one of these days? So that’s what I hope to do this next quarter, start back up a regular practice of pulling out the guitar and practicing. Time will tell how well I follow through.

What about you? Do you have any goals for the remainder of the year, things you’ve maybe been consistently working towards already, or that you’ve been meaning to? Maybe there’s still time to get started if you haven’t already. Let’s give it a try and see.

Thanks much for reading, and have a great final quarter of 2024!

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Quarterly Look Back - 2nd Quarter 2024 /  by Todd Henson

Looking back at the second quarter of 2024

We’re now halfway through 2024. How do you feel about that? I’m not entirely sure how I feel about it. I’ve not made quite the progress I’d hoped on several fronts. But taking a positive perspective that means I have lots of opportunities to improve, right? 😊

Anyway, on to the 2nd quarterly look back of 2024. Below you’ll find a sampling of my interests and things I’ve done related to those interests. I’m hoping something in the mix will appeal to you, either as something you might enjoy, or perhaps as something you’ve already enjoyed. Please take a look and let me know in the comments what you think. 

Photography

Most of my new photography this quarter was created on a small number of outings. I suspect I may say the same come next quarter given the heat and humidity of summer have arrived. But who knows, perhaps I’ll manage to get out more.

On a positive note, June 8th was the 10 year anniversary of this blog. I published my first blog post, Infrared Experiments During National Cherry Blossom Festival, on June 8, 2014. My posts were less frequent back then and not on a schedule. It wasn’t until February 2016 that I began posting every two weeks, and not until August 2016 that I began my current schedule of posting weekly. I remember when I first started posting on a schedule doubting I’d have enough ideas to continue for more than a year or so, and now over 500 posts later I’m still trudging on.

Seriously, though, I’ve been very fortunate to have this blog, and to have you who read it, who look through my photos, who share your thoughts in the comments, who purchase or license my photographs. It’s helped me through some tough times, and always given me something to look forward to, to work towards, a reason not to give up (granted, there are many reasons, but it is one among many). So I want to thank you, a very deep and heart felt thank you, for all your time and support over the years.

Field Notes Update

Red-winged Blackbird - Late March, 2024

Hooded Merganser Competition for a Nest Box

Stages of Growth of Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis)

Blushing Young Trillium

Ghost Pipes of Caledon

Six-spotted Tiger Beetle at Caledon

Is Spiderwort in Virginia “Virginia Spiderwort”?

Mostly Photos

Early Spring Virginia Bluebells

Whispy Dreams of Wild Geranium

Memories From the Outskirts of Denver

White Trillium From Bud to Bloom in 2024

Making Friends

Reading

It’s been an interesting quarter for reading. I’ve not read as much as in previous quarters, both fewer books and fewer total pages, though on average the books I read this quarter were a bit longer (with some exceptions). But I read a couple very impactful books, the sort I’d consider life changing, which doesn’t happen all that often. I’ve been slowly collecting books written by people who survived the Nazi concentration camps, and they really can help with gaining a bit more perspective, realizing some of the little things we get so worked up about maybe aren’t such a big deal in the grand scheme of things.

The books I consumed this quarter (paper, ebook, and audio).

Here’s the full list of books: Britt-Marie Was Here by Fredrik Backman, From Russia With Love by Ian Fleming, The A.B.C. Murders by Agatha Christie, The Happiest Man on Earth - The Beautiful Life of an Auschwitz Survivor by Eddie Jaku, Cascade Failure by L. M. Sagas, The Lady of the Lake by Andrzej Sapkowski, Night by Elie Wiesel, Emily Wilde’s Encyclopedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett, The Gathering by C.J. Tudor, Lake of Souls: The Collected Short Fiction by Ann Leckie, Dune Messiah by Frank Herbert.

And of those, my favorites were:

The Happiest Man on Earth - The Beautiful Life of an Auschwitz Survivor by Eddie Jaku

One of the things I enjoyed about this book was that, despite all the atrocities Eddie Jaku lived through, all the horrors he witnessed and experienced, all the reasons there were to just give up and die, he managed to keep and come out of it all with a positive attitude and positive messages for the world. He shares messages of hope, of appreciating one’s family and friendships, and of choosing to be happy and to make others happy. It’s these positive messages I think many people could benefit from today, especially given how negative and hopeless many messages are in today’s societies.

Night by Elie Wiesel

I received this book through a giveaway at Roars and Echoes. Thanks very much, Lashaan, this was a book well worth reading. It tells of Elie Wiesel’s experiences, how while a teenager he and his family were put in the trains to Auschwitz, and later to Buchenwald. In its few pages the book conveys so very much, immersing the reader in the horrors of that time and place, showing just how terrible humanity can become, how good people can do horrific things when they become a mob and get caught up in hatred and blame. It’s a very difficult read but I think an important one. I don’t believe we need to feel guilty for having what we have, for not having to live through such difficult times. But I do think it’s important to always remember that such times did and do happen, that people cause them to happen, and that we are people. It’s up to us to learn from the past so we can create a better future.

Cascade Failure by L. M. Sagas

After the previous two books it feels strange to talk about a book read for pure entertainment, but I think it’s important to have these simple entertaining reads and moments, too. And I did find this one entertaining. It’s a recent publication, one I received an advanced copy of from a goodreads giveaway, and I’m so glad I did. This is a found family science fiction story about folks who spend a lot of their time on the outskirts of civilization, and how they make a discovery they can’t let rest, one that could alter all their lives. I often hate comparisons to other books or media, but I can’t help but think of the great tv show Firefly, or the Wayfarers book series by Becky Chambers, or Cat Rambo’s Disco Space Opera book series. Cascade Failure, for me at least, falls nicely into this group of stories. I’d love to return to this universe and these characters, so I hope the author writes more.

The Gathering by C. J. Tudor

I love vampire stories but sometimes I get down thinking the genre has stagnated. And then I run into a book like this one that has that classic vampire feel while still introducing something new and entertaining (to me, anyway). This is more a mystery / thriller / police procedural than a horror story though it certainly has its darker moments, as well. There’s been a murder in a small Alaskan town, one that appears to have been committed by a vampire, leaving many townsfolk calling for a cull of the local vampire colony. So a detective is called in to undercover the truth and bring the killer to justice. A great story, one that made for a fantastic audiobook.

Movies & Anime

Films I watched this quarter.

As is common, many of the movies I watched were of a speculative nature, mostly science fiction but also some that veered toward magical, mystical or fantasy. I watched several Godzilla movies, all Hollywood takes on the mythos, and I mostly enjoyed them all. I watched the final installment in the Maze Runner trilogy, Death Cure, and it was a decent ending. Jupiter Ascending and Contagion were also decent.

I had a better time rewatching Beverly Hills Cop with my father. I hadn’t seen it since much younger so it almost felt like a first watch. Though not nearly as good as the original Japanese material I did enjoy the Hollywood version of Ghost in the Shell. I had a good time watching Top Gun: Maverick with my father. I enjoyed the anime movie Maquia: When the Promised Flower Blooms, a somewhat depressing film but well done. I thoroughly enjoyed The Creator, a 2023 movie about advanced AI robotics and lots of conflict.

But there was one absolute stand out movie for me, a Japanese anime film by one of my three favorite creators, Makoto Shinkai. And that movie was Suzume. I absolutely loved Suzume, which I watched with my brother. I’ve never seen anything by Makoto Shinkai that I didn’t enjoy, and each piece he works on, though similar in some ways, is also very different from those before. This one is about special doors in Japan, and about what might happen if any of those doors are left open. And it’s about a special teenager, Suzume, who somehow is able to see what’s beyond the doors and who ends up going on a wild journey of self discovery all over Japan. As soon as I finished watching I wanted to begin it all again.

Music

So I owe some of you an apology. I (usually) try to showcase a mix of genres to appeal to a wide range of tastes. But this quarter, despite listening to a wide range of music, I’ve ended up narrowing in on three rock songs, though of three different styles of rock. Interestingly there’s also a country-based theme going on.

BAND-MAID - Endless Story (Live)

A song by one of my favorite Japanese groups whose songs can feel like anything from pop to funk to rock and metal, this is one of Band-Maid’s softer songs and feels like a thank you letter to the audience. Very well chosen as the last song of the concert (or at least it appears to be their closing act).

Saltatio Mortis x Blind Guardian - Finsterwacht

This one is more than a song, it’s an entire short movie with the song acting as the score. I love these epic fantasy-inspired pieces. And what a powerful idea: “Be the shield wall at the end of the world.” Written and performed by Saltatio Mortis and Blind Guardian, two fantastic German metal groups, this is apparently inspired by a fantasy roleplaying game in Germany.

BABYMETAL x Electric Callboy - RATATATA

Ok, so the first band above was from Japan. And the second collaboration was from Germany. And now we have a collaboration from both Japan AND Germany. And what a strange, catchy, addictive collaboration it is. Electric Callboy (from Germany) is always about having fun, just making folks laugh with their lyrics and crazy videos. Babymetal (from Japan) is usually more serious and meticulous but in this case they mix perfectly well with Electric Callboy in a very unexpected way. I can’t stop listening to this one.

And if you’re curious to see which music I’ve actually purchased lately you can check out my collection in bandcamp.

 

Life

I am very good at procrastinating. And I often struggle with prioritizing things that need done over those that really don’t. And I’ve found all that to be the case more so this year than many in the past. I can think back to years when I was far more organized, far more productive and inspired, when I felt as if I accomplished far more. And I’m sure I’ll find my way back there eventually, at least for a time. Life does often have ebbs and flows in its current and though we may steer one way or another we are still in that river and destined to go wherever it does.

Sometimes I think I’m a bit scatterbrained with my interests and that can affect how far I get with each one, as one competes for time with another. You know of my interest in photography, and of writing. And if you glanced over this post you also know I love reading, watching movies and listening to music. During the pandemic, as I think many people did, I purchased an acoustic guitar and began trying to teach myself to play. I still really can’t play anything other than some chords or notes strung together and I don’t practice very often anymore but I still have the desire and I do pull the guitar out and try every so often.

I used to love drawing, often superheroes or fantasy scenes with dragons and warriors, though these days my tremors makes that more of a challenge. I tried my hand at painting, watercolor and oils (inspired by Bob Ross). I loved building plastic/wooden/resin models of cars, planes, figures, etc.

Lately I’ve begun something I know can take a lot of time but I’ve wanted to begin for many years now. I’ve started learning Japanese (in the past I tried German and French). One day it’d be nice to watch a movie without subtitles or read an untranslated manga. Not sure I’ll ever get that far or whether some other interest will take over down the road.

I suspect I’m not alone with all this. What about you? Do you move from one interest to another? And if you do, do you lose interest in what you’d done before, or is it simply that a stronger or new interest surfaces, but given enough time you’d still pursue them all? And if you don’t do this, how do you stay focused on what you do choose to do? 😅

Well, I think this post has gotten long enough, so I won’t keep you any longer. I hope you’ve had a great 2nd quarter of 2024, and I wish you all the best in the 3rd quarter. May you find a comfortable balance between all your competing obligations and interests. And thank you very much for all your continued support.

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Quarterly Look Back - 1st Quarter 2024 /  by Todd Henson

Looking back at the first quarter of 2024

And so began 2024. And having begun it’s already well underway, so much so it’s already time for a look back at the 1st quarter. In some ways it’s been a slow quarter, but I’m hopeful there’s still a little something below you might find interesting. But please read on and let me know whether or not that’s true.

Photography

We didn’t make it out for quite as many photographic walks this quarter as we have for some so most of the photos I posted were either from the very beginning of the year or new creations using photos captured in previous years (mostly last year, I believe). I had a short bout of inspiration which led to a small series of posts about a fictional trip to Fairyland and all the wonders I discovered in the land of the Fae. I really enjoyed that brief departure from my usual fare, though whether or not I continue it will depend on whether I can find similar inspiration. Time will tell. In the meantime, I hope you enjoy this look back at the posts from this quarter.

Best of the Year

Best Photos of 2023: My Favorites of the Year

Field Notes Update

Mining Bee in its Nest

Inverted Worlds

A Bend in the Road

The Gateway to Fairyland

Playground of the Fae

The Well of Segais

Mostly Photos

Overcast Blues on Aquia Creek

Hunting Blind Sunrise on the Potomac River

Nature’s Ornaments

Trip Report

Opening Neabsco Creek Boardwalk New Year’s Day 2024

Mason Neck Great Marsh in Snow

A Return to Great Marsh Looking for Tundra Swans

Martinsburg Roundhouse and Bunker Hill Train Shows in West Virginia - 2023

Reading

This felt like a very good quarter for reading. I read what may be the best book I’ve ever read (To Kill a Mockingbird) and didn’t read anything that came anywhere close to being the worst. I sampled works originally written in five different languages (English, Greek, Italian, Japanese, Polish). I included a range of genres including photography, philosophy, classics, science fiction, fantasy, historical fiction, mystery, and an interesting graphic novel. About 60% of what I read I actually listened to as audiobooks, with 20% being ebooks and the remaining 20% old-school paper (still my favorite). It feels like a nice balance and I’m happy with it.

The books I consumed this quarter (paper, ebook, and audio).

Here’s the full list of books: Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree, Abandoned Virginia: The Forgotten Commonwealth by Joel Handwerk, The Glass Box by J. Michael Straczynski, The Art of Living: The Classical Manual on Virtue, Happiness, and Effectiveness by Epictetus & Sharon Lebell, Days at the Morisaki Bookshop by Satoshi Yagisawa, The Tea Master and the Detective (Universe of Xuya) by Aliette de Bodard, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, Hokusai: A Graphic Biography by Guiseppe Latanza & Francesco Matteuzzi, The Last Kingdom by Bernard Cornwell, The Other Valley by Scott Alexander Howard, Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt, Death in the Clouds by Agatha Christie, The Tower of Swallows (Witcher 4) by Andrzej Sapkowski, Island Witch by Amanda Jayatissa, and This is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar & Max Gladstone.

And of those, my favorites were:

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

One of the best books I’ve ever read. A classic I wish I’d read much sooner, preferably while still in school. As well as a very compelling story, it is a lesson in history and of humanity, of where we’ve been, where we’ve come, where we still have to go. Full of so many important life lessons. A book well worth reading, and of reading again.

Days at the Morisaki Bookshop by Satoshi Yagisawa

This is one of those little slice of life gems. About a girl who feels lost in life, who can’t see where it all should go, and ends up living with her uncle for a time at the Morisaki Bookshop. This stay will change both their lives. A touching and beautiful story and I very much look forward to reading the next book, appropriately titled More Days at the Morisaki Bookshop.

Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree

A fantasy novel unlike most I’ve read. This one was intentionally much smaller in scale, more personal, less about world-changing events and more about those that affect the life of one person, or of a small group. A touching story for fans of Dungeons & Dragons who wonder how the story continues after the adventure has ended.

The Last Kingdom by Bernard Cornwell

I’ve long seen Cornwell’s books in bookstores, online, and in various other forums and have wanted to try them. But he writes so many series I wasn’t sure where to start. Somehow I ended up choosing the series that begins with The Last Kingdom and is a bit of historical fiction from the period in England’s history when it was made up of multiple kingdoms and was invaded by the Danes / Vikings. I loved Cornwell’s style of writing, and I loved the narrator for the audiobook. I very much look forward to my next Cornwell book.

Movies & Anime

Films I watched this quarter.

I’ve been trying to scale back a bit on the number of movies I watch, opting to increase my reading or other activities, but I did still watch and enjoy a number of films.

I gave the movie Looper (2012) a try, starring Bruce Willis. It’s a futuristic film about time travel and its consequences. It was ok, though not great.

I also tried 10 Cloverfield Lane (2016), with John Goodman and Mary Elizabeth Winstead. I had low expectations going in but ended up really enjoying the film, in which a woman is in a car accident and when she wakes finds herself locked in a windowless room. Things are not what they seem.

Somehow I missed an Arnold Schwarzenegger film from 2000, so when I realized this I had to check out The 6th Day. It’s exactly what one would expect from a sci-fi thriller about cloning with Arnold in it, and I enjoyed it because of that.

Though I’d heard mixed reviews of it, I decided to pick up a copy of Prometheus (2012) from a store closing, and I’m glad I did. I ended up really enjoying it and want to go back and rewatch the Alien movies. It’s not a perfect movie by any stretch, but a solid and enjoyable sci-fi story in the Alien universe.

Finally, the highlight of the movies I watched this quarter was a rewatch of the entire extended edition of The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001), The Two Towers (2002), and The Return of the King (2003). These are absolute masterpieces in so many ways. They are probably my favorite book-to-movie translations/interpretations. They contain some great acting, fantastic set design and costuming with so much detail. The music and soundtrack is incredible, emotional, and impactful. And the sheer scope is stunning. These are some of my favorite movies and are based on my favorite books.

And I’ve continued watching the anime series, Planetes, about folks who clean up orbital debris.

Music

Below is a sampling of some of the music I’ve listened to this quarter. There is more, but I try very hard (sometimes unsuccessfully) to keep this to a small number of songs. Most of these are from artists I’ve mentioned here in previous quarters.

SawanoHiroyuki[nZk]:XAI - Dark Aria <LV2>

I love everything musical Sawano Hiroyuki is involved in, and he is not new to this blog. In fact, this is the 3rd time I’m sharing one of his songs. He’s a Japanese composer and pianist and works with many different artists, often creating music for anime, shows and movies. This one evokes a lot of emotion for me.

Joe Hisaishi - Summer

I first heard this song in the movie Kikujiro many years ago and it became a strong influence on my enjoyment of the film and always creates nostalgia and desire for a rewatch, though when I do rewatch I find my feelings are not as strong about the film, that is until time has passed and I once again listen to this song, and all the magic returns of a summer trip for a young boy and an old man, about bonding, and learning about oneself, and meeting and making many friends along the way. I absolutely love this song. And do parts of it remind anyone else of the theme song for the show Cheers?

Rodrigo y Gabriela - Finding Myself Leads Me to You

Another song that’s full of emotion for me. I was first introduced to this fantastic guitar duo and their instrumental music by Joseph Smith and I’ve been a fan ever since with this being the 3rd time I’ve shared one of their songs on this blog. I love the buildup of this one and the mix of electric and acoustic guitars. And what a great title for the song. Click here if you want to check out or purchase their music from bandcamp (I’m not affiliated with or sponsored by them, but it is where I purchase their music).

Feuerschwanz - Highlander

And finally for a bit of fun let’s check out a song inspired by a favorite movie of mine from 1986, Highlander, written and performed by the German medieval metal band, Feuerschwanz. As with two other groups above, this is the 3rd time I’ve shared a Feuerschwanz song on the blog. And for those who haven’t seen the film, check it out some time. In addition to being a great movie it also has a fantastic soundtrack written and performed by Queen. And you can check out and purchase music by Feuerschwanz at bandcamp.

 

Life

How should I sum up this quarter? I suppose one way is to say it’s felt like an average sort of quarter. I can’t think of anything major that stood out or happened, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. I have felt tired and less than inspired after getting home from work, but that’s nothing new and in the grand scheme of things isn’t such a big deal. I haven’t been out hiking quite as often as I’d like but that’s also not unusual during the colder months of winter. Now that spring is here I have confidence I’ll find more motivation to get out and hike and photograph and share some of those moments with you.

Thanks very much for reading this far. I appreciate the time you share with me throughout each quarter. I hope this next quarter is a good one for you and I hope you have some goals to work towards. For myself, I’ll work on creating motivation even if I don’t naturally feel it. I’ll work on getting up and getting out. I’ll work on more quickly putting work behind me when home and developing a positive and productive outlook that lets me create during my free time. And I’ll work on creating images and words worthy of your time.

Thank you for reading and for your support, and have a great 2nd quarter of 2024!

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