So here I am Monday afternoon, heading south on Vancouver Island, with a plane to catch the next morning from Victoria to Vancouver for the flight home. I get into Duncan around 3 PM and see that Guardians of the Galaxy is playing at 4:15. Well, all right! I’d read that it was pretty good.
First movie I’ve seen in a theater in about a year. Sunny afernoon no less. I sat pretty far up, center, and darned if I wasn’t the only person in the 350-seat theater. I had a bag of popcorn. How much better could it be?
I loved the movie. All the elements worked. The hunky hero Peter Quill is vulnerable and likeable. The talking raccoon brilliant and believable, with a great patched-together leather suit. Everyone’s got a sense of humor. For once the special effects are effective and not weird and overdone. The little space ships are sleekly designed. Marvel studios. I enjoyed it the same way I loved movies when I was 12. Fun!
A week ago, while in Vancouver, I went to have dinner with my friend, Vic Marks. Vic is the publisher of Hartley and Marks, and I got to know him years ago because of his elegant book Japanese Joinery: A Handbook for Joiners and Carpenters, published in 1983. Since then, Vick has developed a line of journals, or “blank books,” called Paperblanks, with beautiful covers, and it’s hugely successful.
Vic lives on a farm south of Vancouver and I got there as the sun was starting to set. Lo and behold, he’s a car collector, and here are two of his vehicles. I’d seen pictures of Cords, but never one close up, and it was a beauty. In 70 years, I don’t think there’s been a more beautiful car designed.
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Not sure what make this is. On the side it said “Intercooler Turbo 2800.” Have never seen one of these in the U.S.
Note: See all the comments; it’s a Mitsubishi Delica.
Duncan (just south of Nanaimo) is another pretty good-feeling town. For one thing, the town has commissioned a bunch of authentic First Nations art. This one was carved by Richard Hunt, son of famed carver Henry Hunt.
The 3 animals represented here are (from the top): frog, bear, beaver.
The art of First Nations tribes is still very much alive in Canada.
Once it starts, hit the full screen icon (to left of “Vimeo”) and crank up the sound.
From Godfrey Stephens
This little girl came up to me at my Vancouver book presentation and started jumping up and down: “I’m getting a bunk bed, I’m getting a bunk bed !” Her folks were fixing up a trailer for all of them to live in. I gave her a mini book, which she’s holding up here. Thanks to her mom, Dee McLaughlin, for the photo.
So here I am Monday afternoon, heading south on Vancouver Island, with a plane to catch the next morning from Victoria to Vancouver for the flight home. I get into Duncan around 3 PM and see that Guardians of the Galaxy is playing at 4:15. Well, all right! I’d read that it was pretty good.
