Fences and Genius on New Year's Eve

The last day of 2014 graced us with sunshine and coolish but pleasant temperatures.  In the afternoon, we rode our bikes, with Black Jack in her basket, over the Cambie Bridge to Caffè Cittadella. Bill, my best model ever, posed for me before we left the café. 

We stopped on the bridge on the way home.  The fence is quite ordinary..

but I'll share it with TexWisGirl's Good Fences because it is a good fence,

simple but serviceable, and because Bill and Black Jack in front of it, and the mountains behind it, were part of the good feeling of the ride.

Thanks, Theresa for hosting.  It is an eye-opener for me every week to see the variety of photos submitted.

This fence is at the front entrance to a neighbourhood school.  I have long admired the metal art on it..

 and though I couldn't find a single word about it on the school web site, thought..

you might enjoy the familiar activities portrayed with such vivid colours and realistic shapes.

A couple of hours before midnight, we rode over the Burrard Bridge to see a 10:45 p.m. showing of the movie, Mr. Turner, thus bringing in the new year as we sat in the theatre..  a first for me, but combined with our after-midnight bike ride home, it felt like an adventure, making me feel like we are living just enough on the edge to keep life exciting :)  But to get back to the movie, the story covered the last 25 years in the life of British painter, Joseph Mallard William Turner, (approximately1826 to 1851). Though close to two and a half hours long, it passed in a flash for me and would rate right up there with my all time favourite movies.  Bill didn't have the same experience though, so that is something to keep in mind before you rush out to see it. One thing I guarantee is that you will come as close to living through the time period as any movie could possibly take you.  The drawing room concerts,

Turner's excitement when Mary Somerville (Lesley Manville) arrives to demonstrate the magnetic properties of violet,

the physical effort of preparing paint colours barely touch the surface of ways you will begin to feel immersed in the time and culture.

I couldn't resist taking a couple of screen shots of fences while I was there :)

However, the shots that truly took my breath away couldn't be photographed.  I just didn't dare.  They were too exquisite to ruin with a poor imitation.  For the photography alone,

I would recommend this movie. One question that haunted me throughout, and actually has been in my mind for a while, is to what extent we should forgive geniuses their obsessions when they come at the expense of the feelings and sometimes, the very lives, of the people closest to them.  Mr. Turner was simultaneously a sweet, sensitive soul and an unfeeling, boorish cad.  Does genius excuse poor behaviour for you?  Or, do you simply put the genius in one category and the person in another.  Somehow, I've never quite been able to do that.  I'd sure love to know what you think.  Thank you so much for visiting.