10 April …
April so far has been rain … rain … rain …
The reservoir is fuller than I’ve ever seen it.
Repairs have not been started on the roads so they are mine fields.
Some buds are beginning to show, but not many yet.
Mornings are chilly but not worth a fire. Late afternoons and evenings (when all the family is home) do require a fire.
Sun (when we can see it) is BRIGHT on the trees.
Windows need washing.
~~~
Last Friday, Mark’s church held a family movie night. Because Easter is coming, he showed “Jesus Christ Superstar” … the 2012 London version.
Not too many people showed up, but I was able to go and it was good. This version is not set in historical time in Jerusalem, but placed in any big city in a contemporary time. Very powerful.
More than fifty years ago, I saw this poem in Good Housekeeping (yes, in those days they printed poetry).
It changed the attitude toward Judas with which I had been raised. The UK version of the opera which I watched last Friday validated my changed opinion.
Now I need to find a copy of the Ted Neeley version of the opera.
~~~
Lately, the books I have been reading have been rather heavy.
I read “Killers of the Flower Moon” about terror and corrupt governing on the Osage reservation in Oklahoma in the early 20th century. The presentation is straightforward and the conclusions are rather upsetting. Don’t read it if you think J. Edgar Hoover was a hero or that indigenous people are not worth attention.
I also read what was supposed to be an easy read titled “Maisie Dobbs”. It was said to be a light mystery set post WW I. It turned out to contain some strong opinions. 
This was the answer by the author, J. Winspear, to an interview question.
And I just finished “Who Discovered America?…” by Gavin Menzies.
WOW …
It is a follow-up to his book about the Chinese explorers in the very early 15th century (“1421: The Year China Discovered America”). It is well researched (although not written as well as it could have been) and convincing. It cites convincing evidence (artifacts, plants, animals, diseases, DNA) from as far back as 20,000 BCE such as the Bog People of Windover, Florida and the discovery of Chinese junk relics in California (including in the Sacramento River and off the coast of Palos Verdes), North Carolina, and many other places. And that’s just a skimming list. I wonder how so many “historians” can hold to unreliable, and maybe unprovable, theories about the past of the western hemisphere in the face of solid facts for any reason other than the fear of losing status.
But then maybe the Chinese and other early seafarers didn’t discover “America” since that is the name given post-Columbus.
I think I need some mindless, relaxing reads for a bit.
~~~
The hamstring tear continued to give me problems until the local shop was able to get the CBD salve a cousin said she had used to ease her knees. My pain in the tuckus is much better now. Main problem has moved down the leg into the knee, probably the result of changed walking pattern. This will be my final whiny report.
~~~
Have you ever noticed hidden suggestions of OCD in yourself?
It dawned on me one day last week, as I was wasting time playing solitaire on the computer (you’ve probably never done that, have you?), that I most always place the aces in a certain order as they turn up. Left to right … spades, diamonds, clubs, and hearts.
I have no further comment.
~~~
I had never heard of canine epilepsy until Siku started having seizures. Seems it occurs at about the same rate as human epilepsy and is treated much the same.
I remember the first time I saw a seizure. It was when George and I were working in New Mexico at the “Insane Asylum” (I’ve told you about that, haven’t I?). First time you see a grande mal seizure it is scary. Then you learn to touch and talk. I did the same with Siku and his postictal period seemed easier.
He is now on what appears to be a lifetime medication.
~~~
Next week the blog may show up on some day other than wednesday. I have to report for jury call tuesday morning. There are at least three murder cases up for trial in this county. I don’t remember details since I haven’t read the newspaper articles, only headlines, so I may be chosen.
I remember that we went many (at least twenty, maybe twenty-five) years in this county before the first reported murder here. Times change. Stay tuned.
~~
And in closing out another week … remembering good old days when George and his close friend (Don) played with model trains together.
~~~
Recently found this on Facebook …
At Ostara (Easter), bury a raw egg by the entrance to your home to ensure abundance for the forthcoming year and fertility in your garden.
So … ‘til next week …