Waking The Dead

The second show I've been hooked on in my confinement has been a British cold case cop show called "Waking the Dead".  A fan of Sue Johnston's comedic Clatterford series a few years ago, I thought I'd look at some of her drama work as Dr. Grace Foley, behavioral psychologist.  I started with Season 6 and was blown away.  When the team is involved and in charge, the episodes are amazing, like "Mask of Sanity".  There were a few clinkers but these are when the squad is more reactive than leading. Tonight I watched an episode from Season 5 called "Straw Dogs".  Two hours of the most riveting, disturbing, heart pounding TV I have ever seen.  Netflix has the first 7 seasons to watch.  Catch a few before "Straw Dogs" though….. get the characters down before you get on this roller coaster.

Kingdom

While my feet have been healing, I've immersed myself in 2 british shows.  The first is Stephen Fry's  "Kingdom".  A less acerbic, equally scenic and quirky cousin to "Doc Martin", "Kingdom" is about a small town solicitor in Norfolk.  The beaches there seem to stretch forever.  Gorgeous. It only lasted 3 seasons, and I think the series got better each year.  But all those helicopter shots got expensive, I guess. And then there's the 1965 Alvis. Check it out on Netflix.

Kolkata Kab Ko.

The kids take the scenic route on a ride through India's Kolkata(Calcutta) countryside.

Raj Wedding

My nephew got married last week in Kolkata India.  A great display of henna, saris and lotus flowers. I suspect the American service in May will pale in comparison.

Live From Kolkata

I  love this picture from nephew Andrew's wedding.  My brother appears to be an early 1970's folk singer who never escaped his sitar phase while youngest nephew Peter looks like the front man for a current hot boy band.

Sick Dog

The dog has been having some GI tract problems that morphed into a bleeding ulcer.  We had to take him to the hospital yesterday for an ultrasound.  He has a freshly shaved belly and legs for the IV's.  He's much perkier today but still needs some recovery time in the sun

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Christmas Dinner

As the Christmas turkey was cooking and we were watching the new Doc Martins, there was a lot of crunching coming from outside.  Several squirrels were munching on the Tipu's seed pods. Better in their stomachs than on the ground.

Christmas Eve

The Lights

The recent rains have given us a new round of honeysuckle blooms.  The lights finally went up..... they seem to be a little wanting this year but probably will look better in full darkness.

Porking Out

We've been enjoying some pork pies from western NY English bakery, The English Pork Pie Company. We got some sausage rolls and pasties, as well.  Super tasty, flaky and chock full of good stuff.  Yesterday we had the savory Stilton pork pie and today's lunch is about the Farmhouse pie. Containing pork, turkey, stuffing and a bit of apple sauce, it's like eating a thanksgiving day dinner

After The Rains

The sun is back out.

Monkey Face is Gone

 Joan Fontaine has passed on at the age of 96. My favorite performance of hers will always be as a wife suspecting her cad of a husband is trying to kill her in Hitchcock's "Suspicion".  She will eternally be Cary Grant's "monkey face".

He's Gone

Peter O'Toole is Dead at 81
“It is time for me to chuck in the sponge. To retire from films and stage. The heart for it has gone out of me: it won’t come back. My professional acting life, stage and screen, has brought me public support, emotional fulfillment and material comfort. It has brought me together with fine people, good companions with whom I’ve shared the inevitable lot of all actors: flops and hits. However, it’s my belief that one should decide for oneself when it is time to end one’s stay. So I bid the profession a dry-eyed and profoundly grateful farewell.”

Old Man

Seven enjoying some morning sun on a cold morning.

Short Cut

Driving along the beach to save some time while we are in search of the perfect river.  We drove through a few along the way.

Las Cascadas

We saw three sets of waterfalls in the morning.  Each was a hike inland along and through streams and pastures, disrupting the local inhabitants along the way.  Tristan uses our key grip and local scout as stand ins to frame the shot.

Arriving Tambor

We took a small plane from San Jose, Costa Rica across the gulf to Tambor.  The terminal was quaint and there are only daytime flights as the runway has no lights. We loaded into cars and went off to our first locations...... waterfalls

Weekend Dog