Temperature Hit 80 Degrees This Afternoon

But this is a morning sky, when it was still chilly enough for a hat and gloves. I’ve got to get back out there and finish pruning the roses; some of them are confused and putting out buds already.
The Extra gives you an idea of ongoing storm damage—this new undercutting of the path must have happened last week. 


Yesterday I forgot to say that we’d been to another Metropolitan Opera Live in HD showing at the movie theater downtown: Carmen, done with modern dress and staging. I’ve never cared for classic opera in contemporary clothes and setting—it always seemed wrong to me. Shakespeare as well. But this production challenged that view—it was so immediate and personal, certainly due in part to the fabulous Aigul Akhmetshina as Carmen. Twenty-seven years old and just terrific. In addition to their musical chops, the entire cast brought an athleticism and an accessibility to the performance that I’ve never felt in opera before; I felt like I knew these people and their story. If you get a chance to see one of these productions, it’s well worth it. There is the full opera of course, and then lots of peeks behind the scenes at the workings backstage, and interviews with the performers, directors, conductors and designers.