Running Wild

Hello World, Happy June! Honestly, what's not to love about the month famous for brides and dads, proms and grads? Besides, unlike many other months (February springs immediately to mind) it rhymes with so very many other jolly things - like moon, loon, tune, soon, dune, boon, spoon, prune, croon, goon, noon, toon, swoon, to name but a few. Not to mention, even more so, there could be a buffoon who ties a balloon to a spittoon in the saloon near the lagoon, while wearing maroon like a tycoon, and spinning like a doubloon in a typhoon. Whew! That's certainly more than enough rhyming nonsense for any one day, and almost enough for the whole month put together, and that's saying something. Speaking of saying things, I recently gained a new follower on Twitter, who identified him or herself as Camelot G. Gillis, and stated forthrightly (and apparently without a hint of irony) "My brother and I like to discuss currant events." Why, thank you, Camelot, and I'm sure we're all looking forward to your observations regarding dried berries of the Black Corinth grape cultivars, Vitis Vinifera, I dare say. Perhaps the siblings have a second Twitter account called "The Daily Prune - all the news that pits." Of course, last weekend was Memorial Day, and Monday was the time for The Flag Brigade to do their patriotic thing, from sea to shining sea, and all the purple mountains majesty that anyone could ever hope for, by George. It was raining in the morning, so Old Glory didn't make its appearance until later in the day, but the important thing is that the often over-matched and under-achieving Flag Brigade did remember to hoist the colors upstairs and downstairs - and bring them back inside later (yes, the same day, I can assure you, and ignoring the howls of derisive laughter from our old friends the dinosaurs in The Peanut Gallery) which is not to be taken for granted, by any means. Or in the (sort of) immortal words of Barbara Frietchie, George Pope Morris, and Rose Hartwick Thorpe, "Shoot if you must this old gray head, but woodman spare that tree, because curfew must not ring tonight!" Alert readers may recall that Memorial Day weekend is also the time for my sister's annual barbecue, gleefully attended by thousands of her closest friends and relatives - plus space aliens from the deepest reaches of the universe, and time travelers across the dimensional spectrum from the earliest prehistoric days to the farthest far-flung future, and back again. This time around was the 44th iteration of the annual Whoop in the Woods, and well into its 3rd generation of distinguished visitors among its vast and diverse guest list, many of them growing up in the shadow of the cabin as a Memorial Day mainstay, and knowing nothing different their whole lives. The weather was too hot for volleyball, but perfect for relaxing in the shade with a cool beverage, and the company was very convivial, with even total strangers being welcomed as long-lost friends. In the crafts tent, the Klingons and Cro-Magnons did a fine job making colorful loop pot holders, while the Romulans and the Huns tried their hands at puff-painting on T-shirts instead. Meanwhile, cavorting in the sprinkler were Imhotep, Caesar Augustus, and William the Conqueror, but when one of the cyborgs tried to join in, well, let's just say that it was not a pretty sight. We all learned a lesson about how electricity and water are never a good combination, and giving new meaning to the phrase "current events." Zap! If Memorial Day weekend has come and gone, it means that the summer movie blockbuster season is well and truly upon us, and no escaping its relentless grip on our wallets full of discretionary income. The super heroes hit the cinemas in full force, with "Batman vs. Superman," the latest "X-Men," and "Deadpool" leading the way. As usual, Bill and I were about the last people to go see "Captain America: Civil War" in glorious IMAX 3-D - although in spite of it being out almost a month already, we were amazed to see it with over a dozen other hardy souls, rather than just the two of us rattling around in the whole theater entirely by our little old lonesomes, as is generally the case. The new movie is not technically an "Avengers" film (although it included many from the original team - such as Iron Man, Black Widow, Hawkeye, War Machine - as well as newcomers like Ant Man, Winter Soldier, Scarlet Witch, Falcon, Vision, Black Panther, and an adorable teenaged Spiderman) but notably lacking Thor and The Hulk this time around, alas. Bill felt it was over-long, and I had to agree that it had some trouble getting off the ground to start with, making it seem longer than it was. But the action sequences were top-notch, and with a few extra super powers, gadgets, and gizmos to play with, the special effects were delightfully different and entertaining. On top of it all, the story was actually interesting, if not exactly plausible, and not just a rapid-fire steeplechase full of explosions, fights, and aerial stunts. Admittedly, I can't wholeheartedly endorse an Avengers-type movie without the darlings of Asgard, the squabbling brothers-in-arms Thor and Loki, but for all that, it had a lot to recommend it, and I'm glad to throw my recommendations in right along with it. It's true that I can't vouch for the quality of their loop pot holders or puff-painted T-shirts, or even their commentaries on currant events, but in the (almost) immortal words of Gunga Din, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, and Joyce Kilmer, "You're a better man than I am, with brawny arms strong as iron bands, but only God can make a tree." Say, isn't that King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table weaving lanyards? Elle