The View Up Here

Hopefully not the last, but pretty darn close, I'd imagine. This last weekend of summer has been very summery. Yesterday after T'ai Chi class (I got to teach, again!), I decided to go kayaking. But I wanted to take out a hard shell kayak rather than my inflatable because I figured water levels would be lower this time of year, and I didn't want to run afoul of my skeg (fin on the underside of the boat to help it track straight). I rented a big ole orange kayak from Bay Creek Paddling Center and headed first down Irondequoit Creek. The water was very calm, and yes, it was low, as the lady warned me when I registered my rental. I got to see schools of little fish, a turtle diving, and several common song birds. I did have to do some maneuvering to escape the people who chatter and talk while kayaking (as in, kay- YAK- ing); otherwise, a very peaceful little turn around the creek. I then headed out to the southern end of Irondequoit Bay that empties into the creek. It was her...

Readers, I am so thrilled to share this! Last weekend I was honored to work as a script supervisor for a truly remarkable short film called "Babbo," shot on location in the Southern Tier of NY.   Written and directed by veteran actor Jeff Austin , the story takes places in the 1970s and involves an old Italian "babbo" ("dad") who was once a champion bowler but who now needs a cane to get around. He bowls at the local alley, but he can't hit them like he used to. His loving son tries to cheer him up with some bowling alley shenanigans, but it only makes things worse. He grumps at his wife (in Italian) and buys a sports car to feel better about himself, but the real medicine comes when he thwarts the theft of his son's TV using...wait for it...his bowling ball. Resolution, reconciliation, and restoration follow. This was Jeff's passion project, seven years in the making, and was produced by his long-time friend Linda Miller . A sweet script, funn...