Hot and Blue

Another hot day. 98 F, which is a new record high temperature. I sprayed a couple tanks of herbicide in the morning before the temperature got too hot and a breeze started. I finished spraying my north pasture and started on the middle pasture.

I also chatted with my neighbor Jim. I learned his grandson took third place with his steer at the local County fair. At the auction, where the local businesses bid high to show their support for the kids and FFA, he got $3 a pound for his steer. As the steer was 1200 plus pounds, he made out well. Much better than a rancher who'd get less than a dollar a pound for a steer of that weight.

Then I retreated inside for the afternoon where the house was still cool from the previous evening. I watched a movie, my first in a long time.

The library took my recommendation and bought a DVD of the movie, "Blue". "Blue" is the first movie of a trilogy by Polish director, Krzysztof Kieslowski. The trilogy is of Three Colors: Blue, White and Red. The trilogy is on France's national motto: Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity.

The reason I recommended that the library get this movie is they already had "White", and "Red" was available on interlibrary loan. "Blue", the first movie in the trilogy, was missing. Once the library got the movie they called me.

Blue is the story of Julie who loses her husband, an acclaimed European composer and her young daughter in a car accident. The film's theme of liberty is manifested in Julie's attempt to start life anew free of personal commitments, belongings, grief, and love.

The movie is serious, but well made and a visual treat. I had seen it back when it came out in 1993. Fifteen years later parts of the movie seemed familiar, but not enough that I could predict what would happen. What was of interest to me was the scenes of everyday life on the streets of Paris. That felt familiar to me having traveled in Europe and Paris in the 1990s, and brought back memories.

I recommend this movie if you are serious about watching movies. I must warn you that since the movie's character Julie pushes people away from her, it can be hard to warm up to her. But the actress, Juliette Binoche, is so good and the movie good, that one goes along with her to see where she and movie will go.


In the evening, once the heat abated, I checked my pocket gopher traps then sprayed another tank of herbicide. The time I spent last year spraying in the middle pasture paid off as the weeds were less and I was able to covered a much large area on a single tank of herbicide this time. That's not to say I don't have my work cut out for me spraying the rest of the pasture.

At dusk I noticed a pickup along the road next to my hayfield. I got my binoculars and found they must have been checking out the two deer in my hayfield. One buck had a nice rack.

In the evening I rode five miles under the full moon. As I came back to my driveway I saw a shape in the darkness on the other side of the road. For some strange reason the first thought that came into my head was "What's a camel doing here?" I know... strange. The shape turned out to be a young couple standing next to one another. Right next to one another. Who were they? Where did they come from? What were they doing here? I said "Hi" as I rode by and they said "Hi" back. I guess I'll never know the answers to my questions. At least they weren't camels.