Flynnfest 2010 #1 - The Sisters

OK, so now it starts. I watched The Sisters this morning on TCM - Errol Flynn movie number 1 (but not the best) in the effort. And the first Errol Flynn-Bette Davis film.

Pretty good movie, based on a novel by Myron Brinig (alas, not Chekhov), who wrote a series of novels about Montana. He was also really, really gay - but that's neither here nor there. Well, perhaps it is. Several of the characters in his books were pretty obviously gay, which was pretty risque stuff in the 1930s. As a result, though his books were popular, they weren't reviewed by the literary critics of the day as one would have expected. Brinig was pretty much ignored by the literary community of his day, and as a result is pretty much forgotten today.

Back to the movie. A big part of the plot revolves around the 1906 San Francisco earthquake. Incredible special effects on an era before computer imaging.

And my favorite line of the movie - "You look like someone they forgot to bury."

Followed closely by - "We drank heavily and fought over the women."

Good early Errol. Still at his peak. Good stuff.

Book List #3 - Nothing But Blue Skies

OK, I actually finished reading Thomas McGuane's Nothing But Blue Skies before the Penn Central book a couple of months ago. The initial interest was a novel about a guy living in the far west mountain country of Montana, a part of the country I really like. In that regard, Thomas McGuane did a great job in capturing the quirks, pace, and humor of life in a small rural mountain town in the far West. Similarly, I thoroughly enjoyed his main character Frank, a man left totally rudderless by his divorce, but comfortable and wealthy enough not to be desperate - and thus having a whole lot of time and aimlessness on his hands to make a whole series of slow-motion train wreck decisions. I that regard, the imagery was perfect - you could see the deliberate absence of reasoned thinking, as well as the oncoming cliff. What put it all together was Frank's basic 'niceness', and your hoping for him to find his way despite his basic knuckleheadedness. I came, I read, I enjoyed. A good read.

Dusk Arriving, Montana

Another perfect day in Montana ends - October 2008. Last post for today. More tomorrow.

Today's numbers:

11

Same as yesterday

680

175.0 (!!!)

Early Moon in Montana

On the drive to Glacier National Park, Montana - October 2008. The sun is going down, and the moon is rising. And lots of sky.

Today's numbers:

10

6234.05 (up - not good)

680 (up! - very good)

178.5

Glacier National Park - Snow

Just another nice photo.

Todays numbers:

8

? (a bit higher)

673 (way up!)

Sunset in Montana

Enjoy!

Like all of the photos thus far (except the stock photo of the 1966 Bronco), I took them during my travels thoughout the U.S. (Midwest, mainly) and overseas (Asia, mainly). So if you're reading this, I hope you like sunsets, mountains, and the long flat, Midwestern plains. I got hundreds of 'em.

Todays Numbers:
2
5548
657

13 October 2008 - Glacier National Park

My first view of the mountains at Glacier National Park in Montana; arriving within sight just at sunset. The destination for a personal sojourn. You see that sky, and you know that God exists. A true "Wow!" moment.

First Post -Let 'er Rip!

OK, so we'll see how this goes. The photograph on the header is the road west of the Glacier National Park in Montana that takes you to the US-Canadian border. I took it during my October 2008 road trip from Kansas City to Montana and back. I'm still playing around with the whole formatting thing, so I'll try to add another photo from the trip.