IN THIS EDITION
- Lorellum Fantastica: The Lorekeepers lead a haphazard construction project
- Travelogue: Chichén Itzá in Yucatán, Mexico
- Movie Journey: Good Will Hunting (1997)
- Pupdate: The spooky side of Lamington
Happy Halloween! How’s your autumn going so far? Hopefully, you’ve had some proper chilly weather blow in? Perhaps picked some apples and carved some pumpkins? Watched a scary movie or two?
Having recently become a new homeowner in the last year, this is my first true Halloween in the house. That also means it’s my first time receiving trick or treaters. I’ve spooked up the house with decorations and will be crossing my fingers for a good showing. I’ll report back how it goes in the next Journal!
Lorellum Fantastica
After the Seven departed, work immediately began on the Conservatory. In the middle of Merle is the Looking Glass, a tranquil lake that contains a craggy, forested island. It is on this island that the Lorekeepers chose to build.
What is Lorellum Fantastica?
Travelogue
At the start of October, I spent a week in Cancún, Mexico, which included a few day trips out into the lush Yucatán Peninsula. The crown jewel of the trip was my visit to the ruins of Chichén Itzá, an ancient Mayan city. As ancient Mesoamerican cultures are an inspiration for my novel Blood of Mezmatl, I was especially interested in experiencing the place firsthand.
You’ve doubtless seen perfect postcard pictures of the Temple of Kukulcan, so I wanted to show you a different angle that I found interesting. On the leftmost stairs, you can see the original stonework archeologists left intact. And in the foreground, note the exposed limestone slab—the entire complex is built atop one giant platform buried in the earth!
Most wondrous of all are the acoustics of the architecture. If you stand at the base of the pyramid and clap, the sound bounces off the pyramid summit and returns to you sounding like a bird call. A live demonstration absolutely blew my mind!
It’s no wonder (pun intended) that Chichén Itzá is considered a Wonder of the World.
Movie Journey
I knew nothing about this movie going in. Growing up, my exposure to Robin Williams was limited to family comedies (e.g., Jumanji, Aladdin, Night at the Musem). It’s a tragedy, I know. Gaps such as these are a major reason I started my movie journey in the first place! In any case, Williams’s performance in this film floored me (angry Robin is terrifying). The film focuses on the patient/son – therapist/father relationship between the two main characters. Watching it unfold was fascinating, heartbreaking, but ultimately endearing.
Pupdate
Every so often, Lamington reminds me he can be more than just cute or goofy. This month I discovered that he has a spooky side, just in time for Halloween. One night, I turned the corner to go upstairs and there he was, perched at the landing, watching with eyes that gleamed in my phone’s flashlight. Thanks for the heart attack, buddy.
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Thanks as always for reading, and see you next month!
