Swooning Over Swans

      My first fascination with swans was watching the movie "The Notebook." Yes, that famous, tear-inducing movie which artfully and powerfully evoked so much emotion over its dynamic and visceral display of an enduring, passionate and elegant love story. The scene where the two young lovers are in the row boat on the lake filled with swans had the most beautiful music playing in the background. I actually bought the soundtrack and would remember how beautiful that love story was and how I cried with a longing and a renewed tenderness and appreciation for Tim. 


     That was so long ago. And yet, I still find swans beautiful. In fact, many years later I was visiting Camille in Idaho in February of 2022. We were taking a hike through a snowy wooded area and I noticed swans swimming in a river nearby. I walked closer to the river's snowed-in shore, pulling myself out of sinkholes in the snow, to get a closer look. There they were;  swans in the dark blue water with white snow surrounding the scene. It was magical and so enveloping in its stark, simple beauty. 

The swans were hard to see in this picture, but they were there.

Me and my sweet doll, Camille.

     Then, there was my bucket list item to "See a Swan Lake ballet performance" which I did today. Julia, Daisy and two of their friends and I went to the Music Center in downtown LA to see the Boston Ballet perform that legendary ballet. It did not disappoint. The costumes and sets were spectacular. The prima ballerina (pictured below after the show) floated and spun and hopped and leapt effortlessly, defying gravity and the laws of physics with an elegance and power that was breathtaking. The other ballerinas with their perfect synchrony and the forms they made were just as captivating. There is a scene where dry ice is covering the stage, appearing like a lake, and out of that effervescent steam the swan ballerinas emerge, filling  the whole stage emerging with these "swans."  It was such an incredible sight to behold it literally had me in tears. It was majestic and wonderful in every way.

     Good is sooo good!

I had so much fun taking these pictures. It was a lovely afternoon in DTLA!

Lovely Julia and sweet Sky

Flanked by beautiful young women. I am so blessed indeed!

We were walking by the venue and I happened to get this shot. She is probably one of these most esteemed ballerinas in the world. Lovely indeed.

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