Thanks for the link to the portrait gallery, and to Documerica in the National Archives, about which I had never heard. This past summer, on a photo expedition to Niagara Falls, I stumbled across the Love Canal neighborhood, and a granite historical marker describing in detail the history of that environmental disaster, which started with an industrialist trying to divert the Niagara River for power and navigation to the Erie Canal, and to dry up Niagara Falls. Part of Love Canal is now capped and fenced off, still too risky to use; part is light industrial; and part is a neighborhood and Little League Baseball fields. The jarring juxtaposition, and remnants of forgotten history, reminded me of your descriptions of the urban “edgelands.”
Thanks, Diana! And what a cool trip—I remember the Love Canal news coverage at the time, and would love to see it. I had no idea it is near Niagara Falls.
Reading the Bloody Disgusting article at the end reminded me of being a young teen and convincing Dad to take me to drive-in movies not meant for kids my age. We say Death Race: 2000, Breakout with Charles Bronson, and Grizzly, of which my memory is not as kind as the authors. The bazooka still stands out.
That bear attack story is intense! As for those movies, I watched Grizzly for the first time a few years ago, and sadly could not finish it. Death Race: 2000, though, holds up as a weird and wonderful artifact of pulp satire. I have never seen Breakout, but researching ORCA I saw that the NYT reviewer at the time described it as basically a remake of Death Wish with a killer whale in the Bronson role...
An interesting report! Loved seeing the glowing eyes of night foxes. There is a heron rookery on a sandbar in the middle of the Mississippi River in Minneapolis, where they nest in the tall cottonwoods growing there. It is lovely to watch their majestic flight over the river and between trees. They will be arriving here soon, a sign of spring.
Slight tangent: A remarkable true older story about an Orca attack on a boat near the Galapagos dates from 1972. The book, Survive the Savage Sea, is really about the family’s story of drifting in a little rubber dinghy for 37 days before getting rescued near Costa Rica. I just saw it was made into a movie. I recommend the book.
Re the pic with the little girl: I can remember when i felt that way about Santa<3
She was extra pleased because for a minute she thought he had busted her being ornery :)
:D
Thanks for the link to the portrait gallery, and to Documerica in the National Archives, about which I had never heard. This past summer, on a photo expedition to Niagara Falls, I stumbled across the Love Canal neighborhood, and a granite historical marker describing in detail the history of that environmental disaster, which started with an industrialist trying to divert the Niagara River for power and navigation to the Erie Canal, and to dry up Niagara Falls. Part of Love Canal is now capped and fenced off, still too risky to use; part is light industrial; and part is a neighborhood and Little League Baseball fields. The jarring juxtaposition, and remnants of forgotten history, reminded me of your descriptions of the urban “edgelands.”
Thanks, Diana! And what a cool trip—I remember the Love Canal news coverage at the time, and would love to see it. I had no idea it is near Niagara Falls.
Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family.
Reading the Bloody Disgusting article at the end reminded me of being a young teen and convincing Dad to take me to drive-in movies not meant for kids my age. We say Death Race: 2000, Breakout with Charles Bronson, and Grizzly, of which my memory is not as kind as the authors. The bazooka still stands out.
And then that brings up this article of a bear attack on the father of one of my son's childhood friends (also the husband of Brennan's grade 1 teacher). Astonishing that he survived. https://www.princegeorgecitizen.com/local-news/i-was-just-a-rag-doll-3721229
That bear attack story is intense! As for those movies, I watched Grizzly for the first time a few years ago, and sadly could not finish it. Death Race: 2000, though, holds up as a weird and wonderful artifact of pulp satire. I have never seen Breakout, but researching ORCA I saw that the NYT reviewer at the time described it as basically a remake of Death Wish with a killer whale in the Bronson role...
Missed you Chris! Glad to read a new one.
Thanks, Jack! Should be getting back onto a more regular schedule as the book gets closer to really done.
An interesting report! Loved seeing the glowing eyes of night foxes. There is a heron rookery on a sandbar in the middle of the Mississippi River in Minneapolis, where they nest in the tall cottonwoods growing there. It is lovely to watch their majestic flight over the river and between trees. They will be arriving here soon, a sign of spring.
Slight tangent: A remarkable true older story about an Orca attack on a boat near the Galapagos dates from 1972. The book, Survive the Savage Sea, is really about the family’s story of drifting in a little rubber dinghy for 37 days before getting rescued near Costa Rica. I just saw it was made into a movie. I recommend the book.