Birds Of A Feather, We Flock Together

I've been utilizing my vantage point of being on the water to observe three types of birds that are expert fishers.  One of the bird-types is what I would call the traditional seagull.  I'm certain that there are many sub-species of gulls but for purposes of this posting, I'll simply refer to them as seagulls.  There is another bird that closely resembles the iconic seagull but even after thirty or more minutes of web surfing, I was unable to find a picture of said bird, so I'll refer to it only as a "gull".  The other fishing bird, here in the channel, is the hard-to-miss pelican.  Captain SO and I have had many uninterrupted moments for bird-watching opportunities and I have concluded that these three types of birds are not dissimilar to three personality types of humans.

The traditional seagull is a bully.  It is known to be a smart and conniving bird but after watching it fish and move about in its colony, I would conclude that each seagull survives only because it is capable of throwing its weight around, scaring the weaker of its cronies into submission.  Seagulls are not only very large fishers, but very exceptionally noisy ones and they are not shy about either throwing their weight around nor making their likes and dislikes known for miles around.

Know anyone like that?

The "gull" is a more highly skilled fisher and relies on speed, cunning, and skill with which to keep its belly full.  It is the Emeril Lagasse of the three birds.  It fishes with a flight plan in mind, coasting on the wind, keeping its eyes glued to the water until it spies a suitable, unsuspecting fish and, BAM!, it zooms to the water and captures the fish - all within a split second.  It's efficiency is remarkable and commendable yet somewhat disturbing in its clinical efficiency.  Yes, the "gull" does communicate but not as much as the seagull.  The "gull" seems to rely on skill and agility with which to feed itself.  It does not seem to need to bully other "gulls" in order to fill its belly.

Know anyone like that?

Then there is the pelican.  Unlike gulls, that hunt noisily from the air, the gentle-giant pelicans fish from the water's surface, moving slowly and deliberately.  Here, at least, they appear to fish in pairs, not needing to compete with other birds in order to feed themselves.  The pelican may move slowly, appearing to be half asleep while fishing, but make no mistake, its pedantic movements belie its fishing prowess.  Just as soon as you think the great bird(s) cannot possibly be capable of catching its breakfast, lunch or dinner, its giant shovel-like mouth opens and its head disappears briefly below the water, all the while soundless and appearing effortless in its movements. 

There is nothing flashy, obnoxious nor noisy about the pelican.  It moves slowly but with great focus and, in the end, great success.  The pelican is much more relaxing to watch and be around.

Know anyone like that?

We all can identify humans who fit into the three bird-descriptive categories.  I'm afraid that I could be any one of the three types of fishers but I know the one I'd prefer to be most of the time.

Slow, steady, dependable and quiet. 

Ancora imparo

Untethered

Am I ever out of my comfort zone, behaving way outside the box.......for moi. 

I never, and I do mean never, take my laptop anywhere unplugged.  I see my kids carting their laptops all over the place unplugged.  They think nothing of taking their laptops or tablets to the park and perching the machines on their laps.  Or they sit in comfortable chairs or on sofas and surf away, typing furiously to unnamed recipients.   

Tonight that is just what I have done - minus the park idea.  After a day of high winds and heat, the evening has settled into a beautiful combination of temperate temperature, light breeze and just a hint of sunset.  It is hard to believe that, according to Weather Bug's radar, we are set to experience yet another bout of storms.  Not wanting to sit below decks and miss this most excellent evening, I have brought my laptop to the upper deck, choosing to experience Mother Nature on good behavior for a change. 

I am untethered - unbundled - unencumbered - liberated - and, yes, peaceful.  Now, I am experiencing guilt twinges as Capt. SO has chosen to wax part of the upper hull tonight.  I'm not certain why - I only know that you do not question the Captain.  He can wax, I'll type. 

There was a time, one year ago today, that I could not have enjoyed typing outside on my laptop without it being plugged in because my old machine was very slow and had long had a faulty battery that could last all of ten minutes or less before giving a message that said, "Very low battery." and would proceed to warn me that I was about to lose power and, perhaps, data.  Then two angels conspired, without my knowledge or consent, to provide me with a new laptop and bring me into the twenty-first century.  At first I sputtered murmurs of complaint about how I did not need a new laptop but it wasn't long (about one hour) before I was thankful beyond belief that I no longer had to use stone and chisel with which to communicate! 

Yes, it is glorious being outside and able to appreciate the cooler temperatures and dropping humidity - an oxymoron since I am sitting on top of the water!  I shall have to find other areas of my life in which to become untethered.

Ancora imparo

Funny Is As Funny Does

Have you ever wondered why people laugh at different things?  Why some comic strips appeal to certain people and not to others?  Why a greeting card can make one person guffaw and another yawn?

I just finished watching the blog posting of a friend who shared a two-minute video of professional models falling down.  The fact that these seemingly unflappable models could topple due to unseen forces shouldn't have been funny but I did find myself laughing - especially at the ones who just walked off a runway into either nothingness, water, or spectators.  In some cases it seems that lighting might have been dim enough to obscure where the edge of the runway ended.  Other falls seemed to indicate shoe failures and yet others looked as if the floor was slippery and BAM!, (Emeril Lagasse's favorite verb) these tall, leggy creatures went crashing to the floor.

Should I have laughed?  Probably not.

Yesterday I finally caught up on six days worth of comic strips I follow online.  I found myself laughing aloud and Captain SO looking over my shoulder in wonderment at how I could see anything remotely funny in some of the strips. 

Each to their own.

I laughed more in the last twenty-four hours than I have in months and, you know what?  It felt really good to laugh, although I do feel somewhat guilty at laughing at another's misfortune.

Today I am thankful for the sound of laughter.........................my own.  I haven't heard it for some time.

Ancora imparo 

Bi-Polar Weather

Jekyll, and Hyde, Manic/Depressive/Mercurial, Bi-Polar.......these terms all describe today's weather here in Aqua-RV Land. 

I realize that by discussing weather and keeping track of the weather, I am turning into my parents, which is a scary thing that no child ever wants to happen.  But, when you live outdoors much of the summer months, you cannot help but be attuned to the weather because it is literally and figuratively in your face, twenty-four-seven.

Throughout most of last night the winds raged, the thunder roared, the lightning crackled and the rain pelted the scorched earth here.  About 8 a.m. the skies cleared somewhat and the wind lessened to a strong breeze. Within an hour, the winds were back up to 25 to 30 knots, bringing higher-than-normal waves crashing onto the dock and whipping up the water in the channel.  Walking down the docks, head into wind, was a challenge at best and it was a struggle to keep one's balance and not be toppled into the water.  The winds held throughout the day, until late afternoon when the wind subsided but the thunder, lightning and heavy rain descended upon us once again.  After about three hours of the heavens crying and a-hollerin', heavy, heavy fog fell like a lead balloon, encapsulating everything in a haze that was as thick as a facial cotton ball.  Walking about the docks in the fog was almost dangerous as it was difficult to see past forty to fifty feet ahead. 

Sudden shifts in weather made it seem as if Mother Nature was having temper tantrums today.  You never knew what mood she would be in.  Tonight we are due for more storms, some which may be strong.

I think Mother Nature needs some talk and drug therapy.

Ancora imparo

Lighter Than Air

Have you ever tried to catch an errant piece of fuzz? A particle big enough to be seen clearly by the naked eye, yet light enough to float about on some unseen gossamer thread, dancing around on a jet stream felt only by fuzz bunnies everywhere.

Spider webs are like that floating fuzz bunny.  Webs so thin they cannot be seen, yet their presence is felt the minute you walk through them and find your skin crawling from invisible tentacles that get brushed off immediately by frantic hands.  

Then there are the birds who look as if they are straight out of a Biblical text from the Old Testament.  Large areas of harvested weeds clog certain corners of piers, where the weeds float on the surface of the water, giving the appearance of some ugly, used-appliance-type-of-store linoleum flooring from the 1950's.  Smart birds, looking for an easy insect meal, walk about on these floating weeds, looking as if they are truly walking on water.  Yesterday I heard a little boy, perhaps five or six, exclaim to his mother, "Look Mommy!  Jesus birds!"  I'm sure Jesus smiled down on this child for at least remembering part of the story where Jesus walks on water.

Sometimes I wish I could float in the wind, waving about like some wispy spider web, or walk on invisible water or footbridges like Indiana Jones did in his movies.  Sometimes I wish life was a little more like a Hollywood fantasy movie and a little less like real life where you actually have to sweep up the fuzz, spray to keep the invading arachnids out of your home, or clean up your own weed mess. 

It would be fun to be lighter than air, just like the fuzz bunnies, the spider webs and the birds, although I suspect that being aimless would be fun for about an hour and then I'd be seeking out substantive things to do.  For the time being, I'll dream about being lighter than air.

A girl can dream - can't she?

Ancora imparo

A Variable Constant

We use the word constant constantly.  We also use the word constantly constantly.

In algebra, a constant is a number on its own, or sometimes a letter such as a, b, or c to stand for a fixed number.  If "it" is not a constant then "it" is a variable.  This sounds clear enough to be understood even by the most mathematically challenged.  I mean, I get it, and that is no small mathematical task.

So, what's my point?

My point is that I wish events, people, places, actions, interactions, etc. could be constant, but but I understand that is not the way the world works.  The world, our lives and the lives of others are in a constant state of flux.  (There is the word constant again.)  Just when we conclude that all is figured out, neatly in place and tidily put away, the universe proves that it is in control - not us.  What we thought was a constant has now become a variable, being replaced by other rituals, procedures, actions, interactions and words and just when we become comfortable with those, a shake-up will occur and our comfort zones will become redefined.

Is there no sacred place where a constant can stay constant?  I'll argue that the answer is "no".  A friendship is ever-evolving - sometimes to the point of extinction, a marriage is (and, perhaps, should be) a liquid state where stagnation has no place, and even our faith in whatever deity we choose does not remain the same.  Hopefully, a job does not become static because job-boredom can be a yoke around the neck that translates into misery and even poor health. 

I say let's celebrate positive constants like joy for and pride of our children, the love of grandchildren, our core faiths and beliefs, long-term relationships, friendships, sightings of North American Cardinals, gift-giving, kittens, puppies, poetry, music and the satisfaction that comes from a job well done.

Those are constants I'll keep.

Merci, William

Ancora imparo


 

What Thinkest Thou, O Felled Tree?

Today I witnessed a tree being felled.  It wasn't as if I had a personal relationship with this tree - in fact, the tree and I had never been introduced.  I just watched its descent, from my car window, as I whizzed past at fifty-seven miles per hour.  My instinct was to slow down, as if the act of decreasing my speed would somehow demonstrate respect for the felled tree but I was in a long line of vehicles that would not have appreciated my car slowing for any reason - especially not the felling of a tree.

I don't think the tree had ever done anything to anyone, or insulted anyone in any way.  It's innocence should have been obvious to the machine that did the ugly deed, yet it was determined by minions somewhere ages and ages past that this tree and all others in a certain path will be detrimental to progress.

Whose progress, I ask myself?  Mankind's progress.  Let us widen the path for a future road so more traffic can speed north and south in a most efficient manner?  Let us widen the path so we can arrive to our destinations more quickly and thus accomplish more?  

The tree did not deserve to fall because "we" want to move more vehicles on a daily basis.  It was a healthy tree, that I could see.  It had leaves and many large branches that had grown from its base.  It would have provided shade and, perhaps, even refuge to birds and animals.  Now it may become plywood, one-by-twos, or worse yet, mulch. 

Tonight I question the definition of progress.  As "we" move faster, disseminate information faster, communicate with greater speed than the world has ever known, can this be called improvement?  Progress? 

I think the tree would think not. 

Thanks, William.

Ancora imparo