Belleville safest city for drivers

Belleville's No. 1!

Allstate's 2010 Ontario Safe Driving Study released its stats on the 50 cities surveyed for the report. The 3 year study shows that Belleville had the lowest frequency of car collisions in all of Ontario. The highest? Brampton. Ajax, Maple, Thornhill and Toronto came in at 49th, 48th, 47th, and 46th place.

Driving in Belleville a couple of times a week, I can attest to its safety. Of course, Trenton is even safer, but it wasn't studied by Allstate. Trenton drivers are the most polite, considerate, friendly people I've ever been privileged to share the road with in over 40 years of driving. Granted, I learned to drive on Long Island and spent my early driving years driving to and in New York City every week!

Moving to Toronto brought more of the same and I learned to become a competitive driver, always looking for alternate routes to get around traffic and knowing the streets and their ins and outs like a cab driver. Every drive into the thick of things became a game of survival of the quickest thinker.

Fast forward to Trenton, where drivers let you in, flash their lights at 4-way stops to signal "you go first", slow down at yellow lights, don't tailgate, and generally use their cars for the very reasons cars were invented. Of course, there are a few exceptions - most often young men (and sometimes women) in pickups - but they are merely a blip in the drivescape that is Trenton.

Belleville, a pleasant 20 minute drive away, and Brighton, 13 minutes away - two of my favourite places to go  - are both driver-friendly.

The Allstate study is yet another happy reason to live here!

Another day, another poutine!

Today's poutine comes to you from Mike's fry truck. It used to be my favourite poutine, but now TJ's is. Mrs. Clarke (TJ's) closed a little early today, so Mike's it was.

Youngest son and I were on our way home from Starbucks. It was the last day of their 2 for 1 special and I took him along for double grande creme brulées with whipped cream, which were so yummy and warming on this chilly day.

On the way home, driving alongside the Bay of Quinte on Hwy. 2, we talked about this and that and enjoyed mom and son time (I probably far more than he!) during the trip. He's such a fine young man! 

Canadian Tire

My shopping experience at Canadian Tire is often, nay - usually! - fraught with frustration.

Today I went to purchase a pot, a cooking pot which was on sale at 70% off. On my way to the pot aisle, I passed by the silicone oven products, like baking sheets, muffin, cake and loaf pans, etc. There at half price - $4.99 instead of $9.99 - were two rose-shaped muffin trays (I keep wanting to call them tins, but, of course, they're silicone, so that doesn't make sense), the bottom of each cup molded into the shape of a top of a rose.

I put them in my cart, found my pot (and a small frying pan for my daughter) and proceeded to checkout. The rose-muffin pans rang up as $8.99 each. I pointed out that they were supposed to be $4.99. The cashier went to look, called me over, and indeed, they were $8.99, a clearance price.

Only, they had been placed above the $4.99 sign, which I (and probably others) assumed, without putting on our reading glasses to see the fine print describing the item, went with the rose-shaped pans. All the other silicone containers were on sale at half price.

So, all right. Did I want them? asked the cashier. No, I didn't. She had to call in a manager to process the refund and, after obtaining the printout, asked me if I wanted a copy. Well, sure, since she seemed to have a couple in her hand.

So, without telling me she had to go across the store to the copy machine in order to make one (!), off she trotted. She returned with a copy in print so small, no one but the eagle-eyed could read it, even with glasses. (Why was the copier set to print so tiny?)

I'm telling my tale only to illustrate the niggling little irritations which fall into each of our days. The cashier was lovely and efficient (except that she could have told me she was leaving to make a copy, not just handing one over, giving me the option to say not to bother). I have trouble standing up for long periods (like 5 minutes), so waiting became an ordeal for me. I had already put my cart back, so had nothing to lean on.

Canadian Tire and I have a love-hate relationship. I have bought so much stuff from them over the decades and much of it has broken, either right away or soon after purchase. It's a hassle to drive back, so I put it off until it's too late to get a  refund.

The products that I have purchased that have been really good are few. Still, I'm attracted to the store every time their weekly catalogue arrives with its sales items prominent on the front and back covers. There's always the urgency of getting there early the first day of a weekend sale, in order not to 'be disappointed'. They've got their marketing technique down pat.

I wish I weren't such a glutton. I still have the table saw I bought at Canadian Tire 6 years ago (at great savings) under my bed , unopened.

Baltic Christmas Fair

Today was a beautiful day. I left Trenton early in the morning for Toronto, and the drive was smooth and uneventful - in other words, perfect!

Youngest son helped me set up my table at the Christmas Fair in the Estonian House (my home away from home) and I tried to arrange my wares in a pleasing, accessible way.

I am not good at tablescapes, and although I've been displaying things at shows, fairs, and conferences for over 40 years, I still suck at it! What I need is a good sales table designer.

The day went so well, and a lot of friends and acquaintances were greeted and chatted with. Many folks don't know I make jewelry and knit things, so it was a revelation to them to see me with hundreds of pieces of handmade earrings, bookmarks, necklaces, legwarmers, etc.

Two halls at the Estonian House had Christmas fairs going concurrently, so there were a lot of people there and lots of children to enliven the atmosphere. In other parts of the House brownie meetings were taking place and Estonian kindergarten was in full Saturday swing, so when the kids were picked up, many parents took them through the fairs.

Some of my best customers are Brownies and Girl Guides. They love buying things with the colours of our flag - blue, black, and white - and they love my bookmarks.

Ironically, when I sell at craft shows that mostly seniors attend, I repeatedly hear "Oh, I don't read anymore" when they see my bookmarks. At craft sales with child shoppers (I'm amazed at how they pull out 20 dollar bills to pay for their chosen items), my bookmarks attract young girls as flowers attract bees. Mostly 8, 9, 10, and 11, these lovely girls are voracious readers who inhale books.

November 11

Trenton Craft Guild Christmas Fair - Day 2

Mike's poutine
I played with it, separating the curds from the fries, to see the
shear amount of cheese curds Mike heaps on his 'regular' order

The best part of the day was the poutine I ate after the craft fair was over. Mike's portion of curds is about half the size of the package of curds I buy at the supermarket ($5.58) or gas station's store (same amount - $3.99).

I snapped before-and-after pics after pushing the fries to one side and the curds to the other just to assess the amount of cheese that comes with a regular order. I had already eaten about 10 fries and several smaller bits of cheese curd before I took the 'after' pic. This costs $6.25. If Mike's charges tax, I don't know about it, as it must be incorporated into the price.

Oh, and how about the Trenton Craft Fair?

I sold one bookmark at the craft sale. Today's total: $8. Together with yesterday's $36 (5 bookmarks), I made $44 in sales. I didn't sell a single pair of earrings, nor any necklaces, bracelets, or legwarmers. The two-day table cost me $75. Cost of my materials: $10-$12 dollars. Cost of labor: $0. Last year at this event I totaled around $175 in sales, with the cost of participation being the same $75.

All I had to sell then were bookmarks, legwarmers and scarves. No one bought any legwarmers or scarves las year, but a number of people bought bookmarks. One enthusiastic lady chose 9 or 10 bookmarks to give to her friends at work as little Christmas presents.

I don't think I have the personality for such fairs. The ebullient 20-somethings across the room from me did quite well. They also happened to know everybody who came by. That helps. I did really well last year at a sale where I knew everyone. That same sale is coming up next weekend. I'm hoping for good results.

Trenton Craft Guild Christmas Fair

My table at the Trenton Craft Guild Show and Sale

The best part of the day was the poutine I ate after the show. TJ's Fries has become my No. 1 favourite place for poutine. The gravy is made from scratch and is rich and tasty. The fries have outside crunch and inside creaminess. The cheese curds are tidbits of divine texture and flavour.

The steam arising from the styrofoam box wafts its savouryness to my senses. Carrying the delicious meal to the car - served, much to my visual delight, in an open container - the bottom of the box warms my hands. The 'regular' order pictured costs just $3.50 at TJ's.

TJ's poutine

Moon over Trenton

Pink moon in a darkening evening blue sky

These pictures are taken from inside my car...

...as I was driving past the spot where the Trent River
and the Bay of Quinte meet

The beauty of living in Trenton is revealed to us every day. Today it was the moon which took my breath away. I was simply on my way to Metro to buy pomegranates when I was struck by the fluffy pink full moon, hovering over the Bay of Quinte.

I used the 10X magnification capacity of my camera

to bring the moon closer

My drive to the supermarket is always enjoyable since Metro is near the shores of the bay. I like to take the back roads so I can see the water, no matter what time of year it is.

My blog's masthead picture is taken just a few feet from the same spot where I photographed the moon tonight.

It was a quiet moon with no wolves (or even dogs) howling at it!

Fred

Fred the cat followed Hanno home one day just before Halloween in 2005. I looked for ads in the paper and on bulletin boards around Trenton to try to find his owner, but there were none. Nobody wanted him back. He was obviously well cared for but extremely hungry when he came to us.

I kept him outside for a day or two (probably only one day, knowing myself) - it was a balmy October - so he wouldn't get used to us, and fed him, but he really wanted in. So in he came and made himself right at home.

The friendliest cat I'd ever met was Fred! He wasn't Fred then. I named him Ingver, Estonian for Ginger, after Ginger Rogers, and called him by the diminutive, Ingi. Two months later, while we were all gathered around our Christmas tree to open presents on Christmas Eve, Laine - who's crazy for cats (she's had a few of her own for years) and always wanted one growing up - was rubbing his belly and said 'Whoa! Ingi's a HE!' Silly me, I had never investigated before naming him.

That's how he became Fred Astaire. 

End of the Thread

End of the Thread

Brighton, just 13 minutes from my house in Trenton, is my favorite place to go for some charm and nostalgia. Old time friendliness and a lovely Main Street make me feel at home.

Residential streets streaming off Main Street offer well-groomed properties and some really pretty houses. Driving in and out of Brighton's streets is a feel-good activity.

My first stop is End of the Thread, a coffee/soup/sandwich bar and antique emporium. the atmosphere at End of the Thread is always welcoming and jovial, the customers and owners nice people to be around, the ambience eclectic.

Customers enjoying their meal at one of the antique tables

Coffee drinkers sit around any antique table they choose - all furniture in the store is there to both buy and sit at.

Montreal bagels are brought in from Toronto's St. Urbain Bagel and kept in a freezer. For awhile I always bought 2 sleeves when I visited: poppy seed for me, sesame seed for the rest of the family! 

The chalkboard menu

It's the only place I know in my vicinity where you can get Montreal bagels. You can also get a bagel and cream cheese for eating instore. The long wooden counter lining the front window is a great place to perch atop an old-time soda shop stool and watch the people strolling by.

Yummm.....hot soup!

Besides good coffee, End of the Thread offers chili daily and fantastic soup! Every day it's a different soup, from beef/mushroom/spinach to butternut squash to chicken curry. 

The first soup I ever had was so delicious I returned the next 4 days for a soup fix. One of those days, they were sold out! I was told I could phone ahead to reserve as much soup as I wanted, as it goes fast. Good tip. 

Next time I decide at the last minute to drive to Brighton, I'll call them and order 5 soups! A hearty serving, accompanied by homemade rosemary bread, costs $4.95.

Ordering and chatting

View from the front of the store

Walmart

We're on the edge of our seats here in Trenton as we await the opening of the supermarket extension being brought to fruition at our local Walmart.

I really am looking forward to it. Walmart is closer to us than the Metro (formerly A&P) where we do the major portion of our food shopping. I shopped at the Walmart supermarket in Belleville, also a recent addition, a couple of days ago and enjoyed it. Lots of fresh local produce and good prices.

This afternoon I ran in for a quick purchase, which turned into 3 items as I picked up a thermal cup for the car, on sale, and a small towel for our powder room. The towel was also on sale, for $2. Shopping at our Walmart is always pleasant - wide aisles, nice people, speedy checkout, well-kept store - and today was no exception. In fact, the cashier came up to me and invited me to check out in her aisle, so I breezed right through.

Inspecting my receipt, I saw the towel had rung up as $3. So, I stepped into the returns aisle instead of going out the door to my car. There were four people ahead of me, adding time to my in-store experience, but I was determined to right the mistake, even if it was only for a measly dollar. After all, the only reason I picked up the towel was because it was marked down.

Once I got my dollar and 13 cents back, I was finally off and running again. A 30 second purchase turned into an 8 minute wait to have Walmart's data entry error fixed, immediately after. Ironic, eh?

Dollarama

Standing in line at the Trenton Dollarama on Dundas: a mother who has a cart brimful of supplies and novelties for her child's birthday party.

I, lined up behind her, am holding one item - a small bamboo box marked $1.25. With tax, it'll come to $1.41, so I have a loonie and two quarters in my hand, ready to pay.

People have asked, on occasion, to get in front of me at the grocery and department stores when they have just an item or two, and I often offer my spot to the person behind me who is holding only a few things.

This mom behaved as if she was oblivious to anything or anyone around her. As she began to unload her cart, she deliberately avoided looking at me. Every time she reached into her cart she looked down as she turned her head toward me. She never looked me in the eye. On top of that, she and the clerk were gabbing about children's birthday parties.

Meanwhile, another cashier opened up, but instead of asking for the next person in line, she just hollered that she was open at the last cash aisle. Three people with loaded carts from the line I was in hurried over. I didn't stand a chance!

So, I waited patiently, all the while observing human nature. When it was my turn, the transaction was completed in two seconds.

The birthday mom and I exited the store together. At least she held the door open for me and didn't let it slam in my face!

Sept. 11

Delicious casserole using summer's bounty! A great way to combine eggplant and zucchini!

Ingredients:

1 large eggplant, peeled and cut in cubes or 4 to 5 small eggplants, sliced in rounds
2 medium zucchini or summer squash or combination, sliced
1 medium onion, chopped
1 tablespoon butter (I used vegetable oil instead)
1 can (14.5 ounces) stewed tomatoes (I used fresh tomatoes from the garden instead)
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
1 1/2 cups soft bread crumbs tossed with 2 tablespoons melted butter (I used a mix of Italian-flavoured and panko breadcrumbs + freshly grated parmesan cheese instead)

Preparation:

Put eggplant and zucchini in a large saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium, and boil until vegetables are tender, about 12 to 15 minutes. Drain well.

Heat the oven to 350°.

In a large skillet, saute the onion in 1 tablespoon of butter (I used oil instead of butter) until tender. Combine the onion with the tomatoes, salt and pepper, and the drained eggplant and zucchini.

Spoon half of the vegetable mixture into the prepared casserole. Top with about 2/3 of the cheese and 2/3 of the bread crumbs. Top with the remaining vegetable mixture and the remaining cheese and bread crumbs. Bake for 25 minutes, or until the topping is lightly browned and the casserole is bubbly.

The polka

Coupon in hand for $1 off the price of a box of Via sticks (good until July 31), I drove to our closest Starbucks (25 minutes away in Belleville) an hour and a half before the coupon would expire. Box of columbian in hand and a free upgrade 'americano' - offered after the barista said, "we're out of coffee; do you want to wait for a new pot to brew or have a cafe americano at the same price?" - I turned to exit the store.

On my way toward the door, a friendly middle-aged man fairly ran up to me, bluntly asking "What is that dance they do at Oktoberfest?". He demonstrated by gesticulating with one arm held above his head, the other rounded in front, while his body did a sort of shimmy. Pleasant fellow - kind of sweet! I replied "the polka?" which elicited an excited "YES!" as he ran back to his table of waiting friends, both male and female, repeating "polka!"

The Anto boys - my dad and his brothers, around 1936

I left happy to have been of help in some conversation point or perhaps game, and then wondered why I had answered with a question mark in my voice. I knew with certainty that it was the polka. If there's anything I know at all, it's the polka! I've danced more polka in my life than ballet.

I suppose the questioning tone to my reply had more to do with my incredulity that anyone would not know, or, as in this fellow's case, could not remember the most wonderful dance in the world, the polka!

As I sipped my fresh cup of brew in the car, I thought about all the polka in my life. It began before I was born, hearing my father and uncles play at family get-togethers on their accordions. My father taught me to dance the polka (as well as the waltz and all the other common dances of the day) and I became a folk dancer in my teens and a folk dance teacher at age 21.

Raimond Valgre skulptuur Pärnus

Doing the polka evokes all that is joyful in life, including the accordion, the instrument we danced it to. The sound of the accordion today takes me back to my childhood and my family and if I'm alone, or at home with my hubby and children, often makes me cry at the memory of what once was.

So it was that I sat sobbing in the car with my cafe americano (also apt since most of my polka days were in the States) thinking about my father, his brothers, the accordion, and dancing the polka. Back when I was young I could dance every dance all night long without breaking a sweat or being out of breath. These days I know about endorphins and their effect.

The polka releases endorphins you didn't know were in you! Were someone to ask what my favourite dance and/or music is, my answer, without hesitation or question, is an emphatic, unilateral: POLKA!
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Here is my post about our family and what the accordion meant to us - from my other blog, "Legwarmers and tiaras":

"My love affair with the accordion"

Stop 33 Grill

Stop 33 Grill on Carrying Place Road, just west of Dufferin Avenue

A diner that advertises itself (on its sign on the edge of the road) as having the best of everything ("best breakfasts", "killer lunches") and gut-busting portions, Stop 33 is a nice little place just around the bend from where Dufferin Avenue turns into Hwy. 33 (Carrying Place Rd.). It's only open 4 days a week (Thursday through Sunday) from 7am to 2pm.

The last time I ate at this diner, it was called something else, but the cook looks like the same guy. I ordered the home fries with gravy and onions "poutinized" and a (bottomless) cup of coffee. Although I went through 2½ cups of coffee with my meal, it was a mediocre brew, at best. I didn't have any expectations that it would be good (it was just as bad years ago), so I'm not going to complain about it.

If I've learned one thing living here, it's that no place knows how to make a good cup of coffee, no matter how it touts its java. McDonald's thinks its "gourmet" blend is fantastic, Tim Horton's believes its cuppa is the ideal coffee for the masses, and The Grind, for which I had such great hopes, makes as subpar a cup as the aforementioned, at a higher price.

I've taken to ordering a cup at the convenience store at the foot of Dufferin which has had a Country Style in it for several months now. Not bad when it's hot, but, again, nowhere near the delicious cup of coffee perfection that is Timothy's or Second Cup, which I doubt we'll see here ever.

Back to the breakfast. I was brought a huge plateful of potatoes covered in gravy, onions, and cheddar cheese curds. It looked like a portion for 4 people and I didn't think I could eat it all. The first thing I ate was a cheese curd and immediately a bad taste assaulted my mouth. The cheese had gone bad!

Disappointed, I tried the rest of the dish. Excellent! The potatoes, gravy and onions were all superbly flavourful. I gave the cheese curds another chance with the same woeful result. Yuk. An off taste, to say the least.

Still, I surprised myself by eating the whole plateful, pushing the cheese aside. Had it been fresh, the whole meal would have been so pleasant, including the price of it: $4.98 ($2.99 for the home fries, gravy & onions, an extra $1.99 for the "poutinizing".)

I left the lovely young waitress a hefty tip (having been a waitress myself, I always overtip) and went to pay the bill ($7.16) with my Mastercard. As I got to the cash register, I saw the sign "no credit cards will be accepted today". Oh, no!!

I was counting on using my card and didn't know if I had enough in change (all the cash I had with me was a bunch of quarters and loonies) to pay the bill! I asked why I hadn't been told about this by the waitress (the sign outside says they take both Visa and MC) before I ordered, and was told by the owner/cook that she - the waitress - didn't know. Seems like the machine was acting up - again - and wasn't charging people properly, or paying him properly, or something like that, and he was planning on not taking credit cards any more anyway.

As I counted out my carefully saved laundry money (I had just spent $15 at the Farmer's Market before deciding to finally try this diner and had no bills left at all), I felt disappointed that this Trenton adventure didn't quite pan out as well as I had hoped.

The best poutine I've ever eaten at TJ's

TJ's poutine

Indulge me while I wax ecstatic about poutine again. Pictured is the latest serving of poutine I ate.

Purchased at TJ's fry truck hours earlier in the day than I'm usually found ordering "Poutine, please", it was the freshest poutine I have ever gotten from there, the most crispy-on-the-outside-soft-on-the-inside fries, perfect al dente cheese curds, out-of-this-world delicious gravy, and altogether hot-steaming-hot!

Perhaps it had something to do with the fries having fresher frying oil to cook in than they have just before 6pm (closing time), when I usually go.

Whatever it was, today's poutine was orgasmic! Wish I could have shared it with all of you.

July 24

Freshly picked garden beans

Zucchini bread to die for!

Our local farmers market has lots of delights to offer the residents of Trenton. One of the divine wares is this zucchini bread which I buy from my favourite bean vendor.

It is so moist, it's heavy to lift. You fall in love with the first delectable morsel you put in your mouth. Specks of zucchini and crunchy walnut pieces are dotted throughout and become sheer pleasure for the tongue.

At only five dollars a loaf, it's a bargain to boot. Serve this to your guests and just sit back and listen to their raves!


Our family can't stop eating it! It's one of those 'I'll just have another little piece'  phenoms.

Trenton farmers market

Here's my smiling egg guy.


My beans and zucchini bread lady ...



.... her tableful of farm fresh vegetables, preserves, blueberries, and zucchini loaves

...and my egg guy's bounty

Swan Lake revisited

I visited my swans today. The cygnets seem to have grown a little since I last photographed them! A car slowed down as if the occupants knew why I was at the edge of the marsh with my camera. We exchanged pleasantries about the swans.

The gentleman who was driving mentioned that there had originally been 3 more babies (he and his wife were counting theswans from their car window) but that snapping turtles had done a cull on the family.

The swans were, as usual, cleaning themselves. They spend most of their time with their necks wound into their bodies, their beaks buried in their feathers, cleaning away!

You have to have patience if you want good pictures. Fortunately, I am Zen-ishly adept at standing still. I waited and waited for the few seconds when the swans would raise their heads. I noticed that sometimes when a louder vehicle zoomed by behind me on the road, the daddy swan (at least the one I assumed was the dad) lifted his head to look and listen.

I thought if I made some sounds, they may lift their heads, too, so I began to chirp in a funny way, hoping they would stop cleaning for a moment to figure out what animal I was. And it worked!

I was far across the pond from them, but sound carries well over water.

I was happy with my snapshots, especially being so far away (thank you 10x zoom camera!) and I left the assiduous group to their grooming ritual.

The wisdom of Oz

I ordered a chicken wrap at McDonald's in Wal-Mart and asked for a cup for water. The sweet counter-girl plopped the cup upside-down on my tray. I immediately went into Dr. Oz mode and thought of all the germs zeroing in on the rim of the cup which was touching the tray that had been wiped down by a dirty rag that had wiped a few dozen other trays before it was applied to mine.

I asked for another cup. The sweet young thing complied and swiftly, before I could explain my request, put the now germy-rimmed cup inside the new one, leaving me to sip from the contaminated rim!

So, I told her the reason I wanted another and she took the two cups on my tray away (and, for all I know, replaced them in the cup holder for the next customer) and gave me a third, which I took from her hands.

Silly picayune story? I would've thought so - in the past! But, thanks to Dr. Oz making us so germ and bacteria vigilant (remember the fake fingernails in the bread bins episode?), I now see the potential for germ infestation everywhere.

(Having a compromised immune system, I should be more aware of possible microscopic hazards anyway.)

For a related post, jump to:

Oh, dear, Pizza Supreme...

Fun with Jeopardy

Answer:

Blog written by resident of Ontario town which is the home of one of the largest and busiest air force bases in Canada.

Question:
What is Trenton Stories?




Haha! Get your own screen pic with anything you want written on it at Jeopardy clue screen generator 


Here's another neat site for those days when you miss the show or want to check on an answer or question from any of the broadcasts:


Jeopardy archives

Dr. Seuss made a movie - in 1953!

I just finished watching "The 5000 Fingers of Dr. T." on TV. I have never seen nor heard of this movie, but watching it was somehow familiar. It came out in 1953 (I was 6 years old at the time) and starred Hans Conried, whom I remember from his years in TV as a character actor, and was a futuristic-in-a-friendly-way, very creative endeavour.

It takes place in a weird fortress of a mansion with stairs that went up to nowhere and holes in the floor from which people climbed in and out of rooms. We parents have seen that before! The furniture was strangely shaped and the boy wore a beanie with a hand perched on top of it (the fingers stuck up).

The guards wore two-tone outfits and the musicians in the dungeon had instruments which suggested the forms of trombones, trumpets, saxophones, and tubas. Pickle juice gave one power and clever inventions of all sorts were evident.

Looking it up on IMDB after it ended, I found out that the concept for it and the story from which came the screenplay was the brainchild of Dr. Seuss! That's why it was oddly familiar. Dr. Seuss also wrote the screenplay along with another writer.

It also starred Peter Lind Hayes and his wife Mary Healy, known to me from 50's TV, and Tommy Rettig as the boy, Bartholomew. Tommy Rettig I knew well from "Lassie". He was the original Timmy.

I learned that due to his short stature - he grew to be 5'4" just like Michael J. Fox - he had trouble landing adult roles. He also had an untimely death at age 55.

In the last part of his life he had become a respected and expert software developer. Earlier in his life, after the roles dried up, he suffered the fate of so many child actors: drugs and the troubles they bring.

The 5000 Fingers of Dr. T. refers to piano playing. The movie was a musical with long unmusical parts between long musical numbers, some of them incredibly good.

George Chakiris (West Side Story) was the lead dancer, so I looked him up, too. He's always stayed in my mind as a dynamic dancer with wonderful, precise technique. His last foray into entertainment was in 1997 and he's been a jewelry-making silversmith ever since! Who knew?

Chakiris had wonderful things to say about West Side Story, the movie which made him famous. He felt it was a privilege to be one of the cast and to work on it every day. He still cries when he sees the ending. Sounds like a sensitive, lovely person.

Even today, folks would find this movie innovative and very quirky and I can see it having a cult following (I don't know if it ever did) à la Monty Python.
_______________________________________________________________________________

Wikipedia explains the reaction to the film - which did indeed develop a cult following:

Although he had written the original treatment and all the song lyrics, Geisel regarded the finished film as a "debaculous fiasco" and omitted any mention of it in his official biography with Random House.^[1] At the film's Hollywood premiere, it was reported that patrons walked out on the film after 15 minutes, and box office receipts were equally disappointing.^[2] Nevertheless, the film has gained a cult following over the years, and has been favorably compared to the live-action adaptations of Seuss's works made since his death.

Also interesting is the influence the characters' names had on The Simpsons TV show. Bart Simpson's nemesis is Sideshow Bob, whose last name "Terwilliger" is taken from this movie - Dr. T. is Dr. Tewilliker (with a "k"), the archenemy of Bart (Bartholomew Collins) in the film.

Bastille Day

La Marseillaise Allons ! Enfants de la Patrie ! Le jour de gloire est arrivé ! Contre nous de la tyrannie, L'étendard sanglant est levé ! (Bis) Entendez-vous dans les campagnes Mugir ces féroces soldats ? Ils viennent jusque dans vos bras Égorger vos fils, vos compagnes Aux armes, citoyens ! Etc. II Que veut cette horde d'esclaves, De traîtres, de rois conjurés ? Pour qui ces ignobles entraves, Ces fers dès longtemps préparés ? (Bis) Français ! Pour nous, ah ! Quel outrage ! Quels transports il doit exciter ; C'est nous qu'on ose méditer De rendre à l'antique esclavage ! Aux armes, citoyens ! Etc. III Quoi ! Des cohortes étrangères Feraient la loi dans nos foyers ! Quoi ! Des phalanges mercenaires Terrasseraient nos fiers guerriers ! (Bis) Dieu ! Nos mains seraient enchaînées ! Nos fronts sous le joug se ploieraient ! De vils despotes deviendraient Les maîtres de nos destinées ! Aux armes, citoyens ! Etc.

IV Tremblez, tyrans et vous, perfides, L'opprobre de tous les partis ! Tremblez ! Vos projets parricides Vont enfin recevoir leur prix. (Bis) Tout est soldat pour vous combattre. S'ils tombent, nos jeunes héros, La terre en produira de nouveaux Contre vous tout prêt à se battre. Aux armes, citoyens ! Etc. V Français, en guerriers magnanimes Portons ou retenons nos coups ! Épargnons ces tristes victimes, A regret, s'armant contre nous ! (Bis) Mais ce despote sanguinaire ! Mais ces complices de Bouillé ! Tous ces tigres qui, sans pitié, Déchirent le sein de leur mère ! Aux armes, citoyens ! Etc. VI Amour sacré de la Patrie Conduis, soutiens nos bras vengeurs ! Liberté ! Liberté chérie, Combats avec tes défenseurs ! (Bis) Sous nos drapeaux que la Victoire Accoure à tes mâles accents ! Que tes ennemis expirants Voient ton triomphe et notre gloire ! Aux armes, citoyens ! Etc.

Swan Lake

A study in swans, perfect for prospective Odettes. Enlarge each picture to get a closer look. I took these shots from across the pond where this family of swans was swimming, returning to its nest, and cleaning themselves.

They inhabit a quiet enclave off a rural road just a couple of minutes from my house, but I felt like Jane Goodall observing them in their intimate natural habitat.

I caught them beautifully skimming across the water on the way back to their home, then spent half an hour crouched on the ground snapping them through the grass as they shook off the  water, groomed themselves, and settled into their nest.

It was a spiritual experience to be there quietly observing.

Look at the two box turtles (to the right of the swans' nest) in all the following pictures (enlarge them twice for best view). I didn't even know they were in my pictures until I uploaded and enlarged them!

Future Odettes - check out the way the swan curves its neck!