Transformation

[vaneramos]

Stop number 12 on the Breeding Bird Survey, Thursday morning at 5:57 a.m.


On the two-and-a-half hour drive alone to pick up the girls Wednesday evening I was still in meltdown mode. Then two good things happened.

First I picked up Marian and Brenna. We laughed and were silly all the way to the cottage, two more hours in the car.

Once we arrived, I quickly set things in order, then went down on the dock.

Then the second good thing happened. Lake Fletcher lay silent except for green frogs chuckling and grunting on the far shore. A screech owl called its eerie “Whoooo!” The air was fragrant with conifers and the water’s sweetness. I sat drinking the luminescent rim of dusk with stars breaking out.

And then a loon shrieked from one end of the lake. Two answered a moment later from the other end. At last there were two groups yodeling and wailing responsively.

Loons are one of the most ancient birds. They have been swimming around lakes uttering this primeval, lonely greeting for 40 million years. Getting close to them, you perceive their intelligence and emotional complexity. Hearing them sing together that way, their sentience washes over you. You feel a part of it, but can’t quite grasp the meaning.

~~~~~~~~~~

I ran the Breeding bird Survey Thursday morning. Details will follow whenever I have time, for those interested. I'm in much better spirits. We're back in Toronto for Pride weekend, and it's going to be steamy: 34°C today and tomorrow. No time for more than this update today; I have to shower and make dinner, then head to a party with Danny and the girls.

To ghostsandrobots: I read the first seven chapters of Foucault's Pendulum yesterday. More later.

Comments

[ghostsandrobots.livejournal.com]

Holy crap, Van. You are so far ahead of me. I'm only on page 15. Then again I worked today. I'll cram this weekend. Thanks for spurring me on; I need it for this book.

[vaneramos.livejournal.com]

Yeah, so do I. How's it going? I haven't read another page since Thursday. It's going to be heavy going.

[ghostsandrobots.livejournal.com]

S-l-ooooow. Still on Chapter 5 or some pathetic thing like that. Haven't touched it in a couple days myself.

Have a basic understanding of what's happening, but it doesn't seem like it should take that long to get that across. And I sometimes find it very hard to visualize the things he describes in detail.

[vaneramos.livejournal.com]

I still haven't had another chance to read this week, but expect to have some time this weekend. How's it going?

[ghostsandrobots.livejournal.com]

Still slow. I'm around chapter 12 and the description of Belbo is charming. Long like everything else, but more engaging at least.

[vaneramos.livejournal.com]

Long indeed. I could hardly believe he spent three chapters figuring out the password.

[ghostsandrobots.livejournal.com]

I said to Erik, "I'm on Chapter 12! That sounds really good, doesn't it?"

"Well, aren't there like a million chapters in that book?"

I counted. "Yeah, 120. Just trying to make myself feel better for a second."

[mhkrabat.livejournal.com]

Your time at the lake sounds exceptional.

Have you read anything else by Umberto Eco? As well as Foucualt's Pendulum, I also read (slogged) through The Name of the Rose. After the fact I discovered that there was a guide book for ...Rose. I enjoyed it immensely despite not understanding the various languages used for the dialogue.

Eco is a brilliant and demanding author. You could lose weight reading this man. I recently read something he wrote on Fascism on the 'net as well. Worth looking for.

[vaneramos.livejournal.com]

I enjoyed Rose about 20 years ago, but don't remember much besides the gist of the plot. I didn't realize there was a guide book.

[justapostcard.livejournal.com]

Once, out of the blue, a clerk in a bookstore recommended Eco's The Name of the Rose to me. Since then I've felt that I should read it -- whether I wanted to, or not!

[vaneramos.livejournal.com]

With all these comments about it, I feel I ought to read it again. It was so long ago, I've forgotten everything except the main thrust of the storyline.

[ubermunkey.livejournal.com]

lovely image
verbal and pictoral

be well
cheers
connor

[vaneramos.livejournal.com]

We had an awesome day and two nights at the cottage. I wish we could go back there just now. Too bad I have obligations here in the city.

[paulonleave]

I loved Foucault's Pendulum. I always tell people, "Read the first page in the book store; if you laugh, you'll enjoy the book, but if you just scratch your head, put it back and choose something else." Here in Paris I'm living only a couple of blocks from the Musee des Arts et Metiers....

[vaneramos.livejournal.com]

Uh-oh, it had me scratching my head. Some passages draw me in, others are too esoteric.

[paulonleave]

I would suggest that you just keep in mind that it can be funny. The esoterism is ridiculous and unintelligible because it is sort of nutty. I thing Eco expects his readers to be intelligent, but not super educated geniuses, and so I wouldn't worry about not "getting" all of the weird esoteric stuff.

[vaneramos.livejournal.com]

Your comment is helpful. I found the humour in some passages, but whenever it got too technical I felt a bit intimidated. I'll try not to take it so seriously. I haven't had another chance to crack the book open since our day at the cottage, but hopefully I'll have time this weekend.

[kwangjse.livejournal.com]

Van, that is wonderful! I love foggy and misty scenes, but they are so hard to capture. You did a great job. Sounds like an envious trip :-)

I loved both Foucault's Pendulum and The Name of the Rose.

[vaneramos.livejournal.com]

It was amazing how these shots turned out. We're required to complete the survey within a limited time because after about five hours after sunrise bird activity declines dramatically. So I didn't have time to compose these shots, I just pointed in the most interesting direction, and shot. I was really pleased with how some of the mist shots turned out.

The fox kit, of course, was an exception. I couldn't pass up the opportunity to stop for five minutes and watch him watching me.