Yesterday we went to two operas: “La Rondine” in the morning and “Don Giovanni” in the evening. “Rondine” was special as I had never heard it before. It was rawther entertaining. If one asked AI to write an opera based on the works of Puccini you would get this. I had some giggles as the maid in the story bore a striking resemblance to Magenta in “Rocky Horror Picture Show”. DG on the other hand is quite familiar. For thems unfamiliar with the opera, a nasty rake runs around trying to seduce women and at the end of the opera is dragged down to hell by a statue (it makes sense in context). I wanted a proper drag down to hell scene and I wasn’t disappointed. Thanks to technology the statue appeared ala The Wizard of Oz and there was lots of fire and demons who were all female probably the women he’s seduced in his lifetime. Afterwards I had an aviation cocktail. Jolly good fun.

Yesterday was the first dip of the year in the cement pond. I don’t remember if 20 April is a record. I didn’t stay in long. It was cold but not icy cold – more like Lake Michigan than Lake Superior. It will be nice to have it again at day’s end for a quick cleanse.

Today should be less dramatic. I have some paperwork to do and there is a pile of unsorted sock high as Fafner’s hoard to fold. Someone likes sock that go up to his calves, which I dislike as they make me itch. Thus, the sorting of socks is easy especially as his are all black. This afternoon go downtown to see “Pandora’s Box” at the Orpheum. It is a silent movie from the 20s about an archetype femme fatale. We meet our friend Christine, with whom I swap books. I will give back to her “The Sweetness of the pie” which was an old-fashioned murder mystery. No doubt she will give me the next in the series. In return I am introducing her to one of my favorite authors, Alice Thomas Ellis via “The Inn at the edge of the world” This sordid tale is about a group of strangers fleeing Christmas to a small inn in northern Scotland. It is one of my favorite books. Like Flannery O’Connor Ms. Ellis never writes any nice characters They say and do awful things set in a place with something supernatural or uncanny (in this case selkies). It is risky to thrust onto another bibliophile a beloved book as a disappointing review can feel and be taken quite personal.

The final Sunday Spo-bit is about allergies. It’s that time of year. A patient informed me an invasive species of the chamomile genus is responsible for this year’s woes. I looked it up: it is a small plant with bright yellow balls on tiny stems. Yesterday while on a stroll I was on the look out to spot any and I did. I was pleased as Punch I identified the plant and I pulled it up feeling good in my duty to combat invasive species. I turned the corner to discover the wash was awash with the plant, looking like clover in “Horton hears a who”. It is not humanly possible to get rid of the stuff. We will have to wait until the temperatures go over 100F to burn off the stuff, which thanks to climate change arrives earlier each year. So there is a silver cloud to global warming.