Annis Bay surprise

Every walk on the Annis Bay beach reveals a new suprise.

Yesterday, David took three of his friends on a walk down the beach to see the "biggest fallen tree in the world". You may not recognize it by that name. Perhaps you know it as that large uprooted tree laying on "the sandy beach" in Annis Bay. Or perhaps you remember it is the one an adult had to boost you up onto when the water level was too high to cross on foot on the beach. The log is long enough that all of the children at the Lake this summer could sit on it, and there would still be room for more. I don't recall it being there when I was a child, but I have had fun watching the next generation test their balance skills on it.


I went to boost the first child up onto the log, to brave the balance beam left there by nature on the beach, and a flurry of goose dander was blown into my face. I brought the child down and off flew a goose towards the water with some angry honking. As the feathers settled, I could see a nest built just at the base of that fallen tree close to the massive tangle of the long dead root system. I had no idea that a nest would have so many soft feathers lining the foundation of twigs and grass. One by one, adults lifted the children to have a close look at these massive eggs. The count was three. The eggs were larger than a child`s hand.


Off we ran down the beach to let the mother get back to her work of keeping the eggs warm. We stopped a long enough distance away to watch the mother goose return and to eat our snacks of apples, bananas, and oranges. Teh sun was setting and I knew it was time for us to make the trek back. I gave the boys a challenge. The goal on the way back was to make it by the nest without disturbing the mother goose again. The boys ran off ahead of the adults on their `covert mission`. In the distance, I could hear David singing snips of a song his grandmother taught him, `the one she`s been saving to make a feather bed`...

Die Walkure in Popular Culture

Here is one more reason to see Die Walkure.

Charise and I were looking at a birthday card today, one that used the phrase, "It ain't over until the fat lady sings."

"Where does that phrase come from, anyway," said Charise.

I didn't know.

My internet search took me to a phrases bulletin board:

"The outcome of any contest isn't known until the final results are in. Thus, don't make premature judgments or give up too soon. Often associated with Wagnerian opera, specifically Brunhilde's 'Fire Song,' in 'Die Walkure,' and the fact that Wagner may seem interminable to nonaficionados. Thus one's impatience would be relieved when 'the fat lady sings.'"

As well Wiki tells us that Brunnehilde's "aria lasts almost twenty minutes and leads directly to the end of the opera, though the character Hagen has one final line, "Zurück vom Ring!", to sing after Brünnhilde's death, and there is also a substantial orchestral finale. As Götterdämmerung is about the end of the world (or at least the world of the Norse gods), in a very significant way "it is [all] over when the fat lady sings."

Who knew, Charise?  Especially given that we had just seen that opera!

Thanks for the question.

Arta

Die Walkure - Amazing Moments

Photo Credit: Ken Howard

I spoke with Bonnie Wyora,  Charise, Wyona and Moiya since the opera.

We saw the same opera in different ways

All of us agree -- some operas should not be missed, and are worthy of second viewings.  Of course, I will probably say that about ever HD Met performance.

In this opera, besides the fact that the music was so beautiful, I want a chair just like the one Frika is sitting in as she negotiates her moral compass with Wotan.

The image only shows the ram's horns in the bottom part of the picture, but  the front legs of the chair are each a ram -- now there is a stunning piece of furniture!

There is a better image of Frika in that chair in the New York Times slide show, but that image wouldn't copy here.

Photo Credit: Ken Howard

As well, I was sitting too far away from Wyona in the theatre to poke her, but when I saw the flowing skirts on the Valkyeries, I wondered if Wyona had been the wardrobe mistress and designed the flow and softness of those dresses with one of her recent Vogue patterns.

The skirts were engineered so that they would slide up and down the planks of wood, as well as carry their softness and style across the stage. You could have blown me over with a feather when I figured out that the burlap bags at the feet of the women were filled with the bones of dead warriors!

This was my first time to hear Wotan's farewell song to his daughter as he banishes her to live in a Ring of Fire.  That was a wonderful moment in the opera.

I will be back when she can be rescued -- by her hero who will appear in the next part of this cycle.

She will have to live there in that ring of fire until at least the fall opera season.

Phot Credit: Ken Howard

Or longer, if I stay with the mythology and wait until her hero is born and grows up.

One can see her in the middle of this picture -- just a little white spot.

Hanging upside down, the wings from her hat, folded back over her eyes and fire flashing all around her.

I love reading the reviews of the performance -- both before I go, and when I get home. 

If you plan on seeing the Encore of this opera, here are links to some of the reviews I read.

Brünnhilde’s Trials Beyond Wagner’s Dreams

The Stars Who Don't Sing
 
The Ring: Part Two Storms into the Met

As I was skimming through reader comments on some of the above reviews one person wrote, "I'll be sure to buy the DVD when the MET makes it available. While we're watching it, I can tell my grandchildren I was there that day."

I am one step luckier.

One day my grandchildren will say, "I was there that day.  I watched Maestro Levine conduct his 2,000 plus opera at the Met, I heard Wagner's Der Walkure for the first time, I listened to Placido Domingo act as the master of ceremonies and I topped up with candy and pop."

Arta

Die Walkure - Questions and Answers

Photo Credit: Andrea Mohin /NY Times Review /Brunnehilde and Wotan

Ceilidh, Dalton, Kelvin and I went armed with snacks to Die Walkure, the second in the four part series of Wagner’s Ring Cycle. Our snacks were M&M Peanuts, Redfoots and Dino-sours, topped up with popcorn from Wyona. Dalton had Strawberry Frutopia, Ceilidh a Coke and Kelvin, the best of all drinks – ice-water. And we ordered hot dogs and chips and cheese dip at one of intermissions. This was a l-o-n-g opera – where else is there a theatre with a production that is five hour and 35 minutes.

The plot is built around Norse mythology, much of which Dalton already has a handle on. We brushed up on facts about the opera as we waited for the show to start. There was a small glitch in the computer that runs “the machine” on which the action revolves, and that was enough time for us to refresh our memories about the characters we were about to see.

I promised a cash reward for any three questions that could stump Kelvin when the show was over. On the way home, Ceilidh and Dalton began their question and answer period with him.

1. What is a valkyrie?
(ANSWER: in Norse mythology, a Valkyrie is a woman who decides which heroes will be slain in battle (chooser of the slain). They bring the bodies back to the Valhalla which is presided over by Odin.)

2. What is the name of the sword that Siegmund needs to defeat Hundig?
(ANSWER: Sigmund names the sword “Nothung” which means needful.)

3. The sword was stuck into what kind of tree
(ANSWER: Ash tree)

4. Who composed the opera?
(ANSWER: Richard Wagner)

5. Who is the maestro for this production of the opera?
(ANSWER: Richard Levine)

6. What is the last name of the twins, Siegmund and Sieglinda
(ANSWER: the Walsung Twins ... with two dots above the “a”)

7. What is the name of Wotan’s wife whom we met in Das Rheinegold?
(ANSWER: Frika – the Guardian of Marriage)

8. What is Wotan’s daughter’s name?
(ANSWER: Brunnehilde)

9. Who is Brunnehilde’s mother?
(ANSWER: Erda: the personification of the earth)

10. Who is the hero in Der Walkure?
(ANSWER: Brunnehilde)

11. Name the demi-god of fire who establishes a ring of fire around Brunnehilde to protect her? (ANSWER: Loge)

12. Who is wolf cub?
(ANSWER: Sigmunde)

All of these answers are easier to remember when there is money involved.

Arta

Charise's Yellow House

(sung to the tune of a yellow submarine)

While Teague and Cheri went to Hawaii for Teague's school band, they left all 5 of their kids with Aunt Charise in her yellow house.

Of course not all their time was spent at the house.

One of the things they wanted to do was go to the CALGARY ZOO.

It was awful weather that morning.

Look at all that snow.

Fluffy fun flakes and freezing.

My back was covered and Lurene didn't like it that much either.

The kids wanted to carry on!

This was one of the things to do on their list while they were here.

There was some difficulty finding indoor places until the snow stopped.

The map was rendered unfit to lead us indoors.

Andrew was freezing under just his coat.

Lurene was nice enough to take him to the gift shop and got him this awesome tiger hoody.

One of the indoors places we found was an explorers's cabin, one of the few places in the zoo where you can find dead animals.

Kalina Leunetta Oldham

Greetings, gentle viewers.

On Monday, May 9th, we've had another birthday in the family.

And it's all because of Kalina Leunetta Oldham.

She was 9 pounds, 1 ounce........born 8pm?

Yes, born 8pm.

Grandma Wyona was there helping out.

Tim was there the whole time helping Lurene.

Lurene did most of the work.

Kalina looks like she's got attitude already.

YOU GO GIRL!

Notice in the first picture how we're getting creative with our modern technology; the heart monitor is in the shape of a valentine.

Kalina's probably thinking 'what's my heart doing outside of my chest?'

posted by Aunt Charise

Want a hard boiled egg?

I like an automatic email that comes to my email box from the Egg Farmers of Canada.  I thought that I knew how to hard boil an egg until I read  their latest tips.  I learned 4 new things, 3 of which I will use. 

The fourth?  Well, 75 % is good for me on this one

http://eggs.ca/cooking-with-eggs/recipe/basic-hard-cooked-eggs/

How I did on my self-test?

1.  I already knew that the longer the egg has been in the fridge, the easier it is to shell.
2. I already knew to start boiling the eggs in cold water, 1 inch above pan.
3.  I did not know only a single layer high in the pan.
4. I did not know, prick the end with a pin.  Now that is harder.  I don’t know if I will slow down long enough to do that.
5. I did not know leave the eggs for 23 minutes in hot water after it comes to a boil and you take it off.  I thought it was only 5 min.
6. I did not know that egg peels easier from long end.

Live and learn and eat eggs!

Arta