three things we love
Crows are known to be among our most intelligent birds.
Pam Smilow/Gert Mathiesen Animal Prints 8 x 10 in. (over 100 different animal images available).
It used to be that we thought we were the only beings capable of using tools. And that our intellect was way beyond any other animals in the animal kingdom. And we were the only ones who had feelings and the ability to self-reflect. Dismissing of animals as inferior to humans was a myth we told ourselves (not sure why that would make us feel good). Well, take a look at these crows! And elephants, whom Aristotle remarked as "the beast which passeth all others in wit and mind". Not to mention gorillas, see Koko here. Jane Goodall and Krista Tippett reflect on this subject in an interview in Orion Magazine. These days, I venture to say that animals might just be smarter than us humans…think QAnon...
Billy Crystal and Tiffany Haddish in the new film Here Now.
Billy Crystal, Whoopi Goldberg & Robin Williams, best of friends.
I am a big fan of Billy Crystal and am still missing him as emcee of the Oscars, even though he hasn't hosted them in nine years. I don't think there has been a better host (or a better comedian for that matter). So I was very excited to hear that Crystal has a new movie out with Tiffany Haddish called Here Now. I haven't seen it yet because I am still a little skittish about going into a movie theater but the preview and the reviews look really promising and I plan on seeing it soon. The reviews look good and any chance to laugh out loud is always a good thing!
I can't think of Billy Crystal without mentioning his best friends Robin Williams and Whoopi Goldberg. Click here for an interview that Whoopi did with Billy about Robin, soon after his death. If you still want more, here is the Best of Comic Relief, the comedy festival these three founded in order to raise money for charity.
Alewives swimming from the ocean to lay their eggs in the fresh water of Damariscotta Lake, Maine.
Alewives are the primary bait for lobster fisherman in Maine.
The first time I saw the run of alewives up to
Damariscotta Lake I was with my husband, Gert, and we stopped because there was a crowd gathering around a bridge and we were wondering what they were looking at. We got out of the car, walked over and looked down—and saw nothing. What was taking all their attention? And then we realized we saw nothing because in the stream below it was a solid blanket of fish. Alewives are in the herring family and each spring, the adult fish migrate straight upstream from the salt water of the ocean to the fresh water of rivers, streams, ponds and lakes to spawn. ... Some die in the process but the majority make their way back to the ocean shortly after laying their eggs – to do it all over again the following spring (if they have escaped being eaten along the way up by seagulls, eagles, herons, osprey or other sea birds or captured by humans to be used for bait in lobster traps).
I am not exaggerating to say this truly was one of the most exciting things I have witnessed in nature. The amount of strength it takes for these small fish to combat such strong currents and waterfalls over quite a long distance is truly a sight to be seen. One of the true wonders of the world!
painting of the week
Pam Smilow, Maine at sunset, mixed media on canvas , 54 x 54 inches.
Continuing on the Maine boat theme, this is a painting I did after one of my previous trips, this time with the sunset on fire.
This week's featured charity: The Jane Goodall Foundation
Self Portrait going grey in the time of Covid…
About The Author
New York City based contemporary artist, Pam Smilow created the creative lifestyle blog “things we love” in an effort to foster a sense of community during times of isolation and reflection. To read more about her, check out the essay written by the Hammond Museum's Frank Matheis entitled The Sophisticated Innocence of Pam Smilow.