Fantasy Under the Clouds

While the porch was wet when I finally rolled out of bed this morning, it was merely cloudy when I got to breakfast. Ran She-Ra as I ate. "Enchanted Castle" is probably my favorite episode on the Season 1, Volume 1 set I have. Adora and Bow get into major trouble when a wicked witch imprisons them in her sorcery-filled castle. They have to put out the magic blue fire that gives the witch her power. An old woman they rescued on the road proves to be more of a help than she looks.

"He Ain't Heavy" brings He-Man in for his second crossover with his sister after the pilot movie. Hordak uses a Moon Mirror stolen from an elderly wizard to kidnap Prince Adam and hold him as bait to trap Adora. She-Ra has other ideas. She enters Hordak's home the Fright Zone to rescue him.

It was quarter after 11 before I made it out to the Collingswood Farm Market. Neither the late hour nor the clouds and heavy humidity could stop the crowds. Despite the crazy weather we've been having lately, the summer produce is at its height. Saw winter squash for the first time today as well. Ended up with mushrooms, scallions, blueberries (which seem to have returned this week), tiny apples, two ears of corn, a small eggplant, a tomato, a cucumber, and two onions. Checked out Rite Aid and CVS to find something; never saw it. 

When I got in, I put away my purchases and made Cucumber-Tomato Salad while watching more She-Ra. "Return of The Sea Hawk" brings back Etheria's own roguish pirate and his crew. He lends She-Ra and her horse Swift Wing a hand when they're captured by the Horde while trying to help a village of elves.

"King Miro's Journey" takes He-Man and his grandfather to Etheria. Miro wants to meet his granddaughter...but he ends up encountering Hordak, who is using a crystal dome to trap the Rebels.

It remained cloudy and sticky humid as I headed out to work. We were very busy, especially early-on. I suspect people may have been trying to avoid the rain that never came. The weather wasn't exactly conductive to a weekend trip to the Shore, either. While I did bag and gather trash, I was mainly outside doing carts. I did have help from a college-age and a teen boy early on. Thankfully, by the time I was on my own, the crowds had subsided somewhat. They were having a really good sale on Pepperidge Farm Cookies. I wanted to try the Caramel Apple Pie and Pumpkin Cheesecake. 

As soon as I got home, I changed, then made a swordfish steak in garlic butter sauce and the Cucumber-Tomato Salad for dinner. Did another She-Ra episode as I ate. "The Peril of the Whispering Woods" is the poison the Horde's using to destroy the forest. Unfortunately, it's also hurting the elves who are a part of its magic. She-Ra manages to convince the young son of Horde Prime, Prince Zed, to understand the other side while Madame Razz works on an antidote.

Moved to the fifth season of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles while having Ben & Jerry's for dessert. Thought I'd cool down a bit with "The Ice Mutant Cometh." BeBop and Rocksteady accidentally drop mutagen on the ice blocking the Technodrome, creating a 100-foot tall ice monster that responds only to BeBop. The Turtles have to figure out how to defrost this menace without flooding New York City in the process.

After enjoying She-Ra earlier in the day, I thought I'd watch another Filmation girl-power tale as I went online. Happily Ever After is supposed to be the sequel to Snow White. When the Prince is kidnapped by the evil Lord Maliss, the brother of the Evil Queen, Snow White goes to Mother Nature for help. She sends the girl and the Dwarfelles, the nature-controlling sisters of the Dwarfs, to Maliss' home to rescue him. 

Surprisingly fun cult animated fairy tale. The music's lousy and Maliss' hench-animals are useless, but the Dwarfells are pretty funny, and Snow White is slightly more pro-active than in most versions of this story. 

Finished out the night with another lesser-known animated film from my childhood, The Gnomes' Great Adventure. A fantasy writer (Christopher Plummer) narrates the tale of how David the Gnome (Tom Bosley) was called on to retrieve the Gnome King's stolen gold from a group of hungry trolls. He's aided by a shape-shifting wizard (Tony Randall), an odd Tibetan monk, and a group of mischievous flower fairies. 

Too bad the lovely World of David the Gnome cartoon is currently out of print and expensive on DVD, and I'm not sure if this was ever released on home video. It's an episodic but fun tale, especially if you're a fan of Bosley or Scandinavian fantasy. 

(And at press time...it STILL hasn't rained! A farmer said earlier today it was supposed to rain from 11 last night to 12 this morning. It may have rained last night, but I haven't seen any rain today yet.)