Swans, Singapore ship, United Nation Conference and other November events
The swan family that is mentioned in this LJ many times is hanging out in our neighbourhood. Mother and son are splashing to the Fraser runway:
The proud family is gathered at the entrance to FinnSlough:
They are mute swans that inhabit Europe and are strangers to our Pacific coast. Several years this pair was not successful in offspring hatching making nests in wrong places. Their instinct doesn’t contain knowledge of high tides that happen in our area in June therefore their rules of thumb for nest place selection are incorrect. This year they were wrong again and the nest was washed together with the mom sitting on the eggs. Fishermen caught the nest in the middle of the Fraser, tugged it to the harbour and put it high enough above tideline in quiet place. And they have the chick at last.
The sunny weather is gone and the Wednesday was the last day without rain. I walked along the Fraser in the afternoon humming Vertinsky’s “Magnolia Tango” when this ship attracted my attention:
And my thoughts jumped somewhere to “banana-lemon Singapore”, Singapore corruption stories (and there is a reason for this which I plan to explain below), then to Malaysian restaurant in Steveston, to seafood, shrimps in particular, and to freshwater crayfish finally.
I remembered similar sunny November days that we spent in Samarka meadows. There are several lakes formed by old riverbed on the other side of Samarka River not far from aviation plant. Just cross the river by boat, walk approximately a kilometer by meadow trail and you are there. The lakes are not deep and heavily silted. I prefer the days when cold November water is covered with very light and thin ice, which is not a real ice yet but a thinnest film that doesn’t create any resistance when you swim. And the water is absolutely clean and transparent in November what is important too. In totally calm water the surface of the sludge becomes glossy as mirror and you can see your reflection soaring above the bottom, watching sunbeams play and looking for the lusterless patch on the mirror. Finally you see it as a grayish triangle spot on the bright mirror face. Take a breath, dive and thrust the hand into the middle of the spot. The hand disappears to your elbow in mud and you feel prick of thorns that crayfish has on its forehead. Catch it and take it out. As a rule you get a big crayfish this way. Put it into the string bag attached to the waist and continue the process.
When couple of dozens of these creatures are collected it’s time to go ashore where campfire and bowler are ready for crayfish processing. But before cooking the catch we are playing soccer what warms us to condition of sunbathing. Now it’s a proper time for crayfish dining with hot mulled wine.
But let’s return to Fraser. Singapore ship lifts the water by its protruding bulb nose:
General picture of the river, the ship and the swan:
I like this variant:
Mom and son closer:
Going to Finn Slough:
Beauty:
One of local fisherman feed them near his shed:
Another beauty, harbour seal:
Busy guy:
Competing with the Canadian dollar symbol which is this loon:
The river is working:
Driftwood covers beaches on the way to the ocean:
And to finish with the swans and the river this is a last snap of Finn Slow entrance at high tide with swans:
There were other thoughts when I met the Singapore ship on the river. My older grandson, Anton, is making presentation on the “Corruption in Singapore” topic in the framework of the Model United Nations conference. As they say this is a conference simulating many international committees such as the all-powerful Security Council, the militaristic NATO, the environmentally friendly UNEP and the economic World Bank. During the conference, students represent UN member states in various committees. These state representatives, called “delegates,” debate and cooperate to resolve international conflicts while keeping their countries’ self interest in mind. I plan to meet him in the Hayat hotel in downtown tomorrow and look at how they are doing at this conference. They are staying and working in the Hayat three days (two nights). I guess this is a good experience for a fifteen year lad.
The proud family is gathered at the entrance to FinnSlough:
They are mute swans that inhabit Europe and are strangers to our Pacific coast. Several years this pair was not successful in offspring hatching making nests in wrong places. Their instinct doesn’t contain knowledge of high tides that happen in our area in June therefore their rules of thumb for nest place selection are incorrect. This year they were wrong again and the nest was washed together with the mom sitting on the eggs. Fishermen caught the nest in the middle of the Fraser, tugged it to the harbour and put it high enough above tideline in quiet place. And they have the chick at last.
The sunny weather is gone and the Wednesday was the last day without rain. I walked along the Fraser in the afternoon humming Vertinsky’s “Magnolia Tango” when this ship attracted my attention:
And my thoughts jumped somewhere to “banana-lemon Singapore”, Singapore corruption stories (and there is a reason for this which I plan to explain below), then to Malaysian restaurant in Steveston, to seafood, shrimps in particular, and to freshwater crayfish finally.
I remembered similar sunny November days that we spent in Samarka meadows. There are several lakes formed by old riverbed on the other side of Samarka River not far from aviation plant. Just cross the river by boat, walk approximately a kilometer by meadow trail and you are there. The lakes are not deep and heavily silted. I prefer the days when cold November water is covered with very light and thin ice, which is not a real ice yet but a thinnest film that doesn’t create any resistance when you swim. And the water is absolutely clean and transparent in November what is important too. In totally calm water the surface of the sludge becomes glossy as mirror and you can see your reflection soaring above the bottom, watching sunbeams play and looking for the lusterless patch on the mirror. Finally you see it as a grayish triangle spot on the bright mirror face. Take a breath, dive and thrust the hand into the middle of the spot. The hand disappears to your elbow in mud and you feel prick of thorns that crayfish has on its forehead. Catch it and take it out. As a rule you get a big crayfish this way. Put it into the string bag attached to the waist and continue the process.
When couple of dozens of these creatures are collected it’s time to go ashore where campfire and bowler are ready for crayfish processing. But before cooking the catch we are playing soccer what warms us to condition of sunbathing. Now it’s a proper time for crayfish dining with hot mulled wine.
But let’s return to Fraser. Singapore ship lifts the water by its protruding bulb nose:
General picture of the river, the ship and the swan:
I like this variant:
Mom and son closer:
Going to Finn Slough:
Beauty:
One of local fisherman feed them near his shed:
Another beauty, harbour seal:
Busy guy:
Competing with the Canadian dollar symbol which is this loon:
The river is working:
Driftwood covers beaches on the way to the ocean:
And to finish with the swans and the river this is a last snap of Finn Slow entrance at high tide with swans:
There were other thoughts when I met the Singapore ship on the river. My older grandson, Anton, is making presentation on the “Corruption in Singapore” topic in the framework of the Model United Nations conference. As they say this is a conference simulating many international committees such as the all-powerful Security Council, the militaristic NATO, the environmentally friendly UNEP and the economic World Bank. During the conference, students represent UN member states in various committees. These state representatives, called “delegates,” debate and cooperate to resolve international conflicts while keeping their countries’ self interest in mind. I plan to meet him in the Hayat hotel in downtown tomorrow and look at how they are doing at this conference. They are staying and working in the Hayat three days (two nights). I guess this is a good experience for a fifteen year lad.