鷹之道 賽。蟒剛麼瑞

Just finished a very brief book by SyMontgomery.  It's very different from her other writings, because she gave up the activity of falconry.    The main reason for giving up is due to the fact that hunting is not in her blood, to be specific, killing is not in her makeup.  She is still awed by the beauty and wildness of raptors.  I don't think anybody wouldn't be awed by it.  Though I do remember from KonradLarenz's writing, he does not think raptors are smart.  Sy thought points out the instinct part of raptors as the essence of the bird, not truly it's intelligence.  And there're also many ways intelligence, Raptors way of intelligence is just very different from ours.  

I liked this book about its honesty and humility.  Because her choice at the end is very impressive, it shows humility really.  I'd imagine somewhere in her heart, a desire to complete falconry training must be strong.  But she knew herself, her circumstances, her relations, she turned it down.  She is not just speaking about being an animal lover, but really acts as one.  For I believe that by denying herself to train for 2 years with a raptor, she protected both a raptor she's going to handle and herself.  An over bloated promise, will make injury to both parties.  

Also, I am wondering if there are writing about falconry in 華夏大地.  What's their experience?  What's their language?  

Quote:

Our fellow animals teach us lessons about the delights of sameness and difference. They immerse us in wonder. They lead us to humility; they inspire us to reverence. They teach us the many facets of love.

Reminder: Slow to Anger. And moderation in Anger.

 Slow to Anger

Moderation in Anger.  

A rule against murder 讀後感，詩鈔

我剛讀完露易莎。媥尼的第四本葛傌煦警探系列小說。  題目是一條反對謀殺的規定。  我始終覺得這不是一個很嚴肅的偵探小說系列。  這個系列真正吸引我的地方是他創造的人物，都很可親，很可愛。  而且很多偵探小說裡的主角都是出生背景黑暗，但是這位葛傌煦警探則不是，其中的一個原因實在是因為作者當初創作的時候，希望把心目中的最完美的男人的特質用來塑造出這位警探。  

這本書在描寫家庭的互動上滿仔細，也滿生動的。  但是，有時候我覺得作者為了創造氣氛，在某些描述上變得有點誇張。  關於查案方面，我覺得這一部跟前三集相比，更弱。  這一本書的重點很顯然是希望讓讀者更深入了解葛傌煦警探的成長經過，而不是案情。  我覺得有點可惜。  但是故事裡有兩大段地方，讓我看得很喜歡。  因為這兩段寫的很實在，並不煽情。  可以說把這本書的重點給點得很到位。  

我喜歡這個系列還因為作者每次都有使用了不少的詩詞。  不知道為什麼這都讓我很高興。  我這次也不例外，把一首貫穿全書的詩抄錄下來。 

Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of Earth

And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings;

Sunward I’ve climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth

of sun-split clouds,—and done a hundred things

You have not dreamed of—wheeled and soared and swung

High in the sunlit silence. Hov’ring there,

I’ve chased the shouting wind along, and flung

My eager craft through footless halls of air….

Up, up the long, delirious, burning blue

I’ve topped the wind-swept heights with easy grace

Where never lark nor ever eagle flew—

And, while with silent lifting mind I’ve trod

The high untrespassed sanctity of space,

Put out my hand, and touched the face of God.

“High Flight,” September 3, 1941., John Gillespie Magee, Jr. (1922–41)

Magee was born in Shanghai, China, of missionary parents—an American father and an English mother—and spoke Chinese before English. He was educated at Rugby school in England and at Avon Old Farms School in Connecticut. He won a scholarship to Yale, but instead joined the Royal Canadian Air Force in late 1940, trained in Canada, and was sent to Britain. He flew in a Spitfire squadron and was killed on a routine training mission on December 11, 1941. The sonnet above was sent to his parents written on the back of a letter which said, “I am enclosing a verse I wrote the other day. It started at 30,000 feet, and was finished soon after I landed.” He also wrote of his course ending soon and of his then going on operations, and added, “I think we are very lucky as we shall just be in time for the autumn blitzes (which are certain to come).”

文章裡是介紹這位作者，年僅十九歲。  在二戰時，在英國上空做訓練飛行時發生意外，和另一架訓練機相撞斃命。  文章裡說他出生在中國上海，父母是傳道士。  他從小一開口講的是國語，後來才學英文。  之後又在英美兩國之間就學， 獲得耶魯大學獎學金，但是棄學從軍，進入英國皇家航空。  在他寫給父母的信中，他抄錄了這首詩，信裡提到當天飛機一飛上三萬英呎，他就開始有了詩的靈感，在降落後，一首詩(信裡用的詞彙是 ditty，短歌的意思)就完成了。    

a random record

 這是第三個星期二小瑋沒有來和媽媽研讀聖經了。  他在五月卅一日打電話來說他有心冠了。  媽媽很緊張，我記得我們第二天就拿點食物過去。  PQ  那時候還沒有染疫。  他來樓下拿了食物上去。  那個星期我們又拿了點東西過去，好像是一鍋雞湯，不對那是第一次拿的吧？  可是那個周末之後 PQ 也得了。  他兩沒有分房睡。  媽媽一直都在勸他們要分開睡。  可是你可以想像，住在公寓裡，是很困難的。  

我們聽說 PQ 感染了，我和媽媽也都立馬做了測驗。  各做兩次。  都沒有，不過原本說了要和胡熒阿姨去 Costco 後來也不去了。  

這兩個星期，小瑋不能來，也沒有見到他人。  上個星期六我把 Mei 的折疊腳踏車拿去小瑋家，是 PQ 下來拿的。  他大致上都已恢復，沒甚麼症狀了。  不過人看起來有點瘦。  當然還是沒有看到小瑋。  不過這兩個星期在電話上聽起來他人在逐漸好起來。  聲音雖然還是有痰， 但是愈來愈有精神。  昨天傍晚，媽媽看她打電話，打不到人，他在網上帶一個聖經研讀。  

這次，佩蘭阿姨，舅舅都有打電話給小瑋。  還不錯的哩。  媽媽也經常和小瑋聯絡。  雖說媽媽說自己總是說一些小瑋不愛聽的，例如應該要去拿針對心冠的藥，但是只要有打電話就好。  

只是個紀錄。  

詩鈔

 

宿石邑山中

唐代：韓翃

浮雲不共此山齊，山靄蒼蒼望轉迷。
曉月暫飛高樹裡，秋河隔在數峰西。

saw it at memorial hall library.  hung up in a frame on the wall.  

成長路錄音完成感想

 underwhelming.

The recording is so bad.  From narration, recording.  The only good thing is the source material.  But because of the bad recording.  Nobody in their right mind would finish listening even one clip.  

But that's fine, I am trying to comfort myself.  I already knew it when at the very beginning.  And I hope it  stayed that way.  

Underwhelming, a feeling I am perplexed.  Usually, I'd feel elated after I complete something, anything.  But not this time.  All I can feel is underwhelming.  Like nothing really happened.  I tried to look at the date when I started the project, it was 4/40/21, in the hope that the duration of he project would give me some satisfaction.  Although the quality of the result is not good, but I stuck to it till the end.  Of course, with my mom's push, faking interest, she already finished reading the book twice since I started the project.  

My initial goal is two folds.  For the outside world, I hope to preserve some very good literature online.  For myself, I wish to practice my speech this way, to preserve little bit of speaking ability.  Did any of these goals met, I ask myself.  For my speech, I am not sure, I think I will have to keep doing it because I don't speak to other people more than some surface conversation, if even that.  For the outside world, that's a lofty goal when no one will come and listen to it.  Although for the falu purposes, I rather have no people come listening.  

But even now I am typing the thoughts out, I am underwhelmed in a huge way.  I don't know why.  That's okay.  I guess in my heart, maybe I'd like to be very good at narrating the book.   However, this is basically my first recording for a real book.  Secondly, keep at it, nothing is good at first.  I can acknowledge that my potential for a good recording is very low.  But I am hoping I still have some way before reaching that low ceiling...  lol  

Animal sightings so far

 1. 

I was walking downtown.  I came to the Elm Square intersection.  Our town library is part of the intersection.  On top of it, there's a round pole.  It was twilight, the  traffic was quite heavy.  It was spring, the weather was quite nice.  There were people walking around.  What animal could I see in this heavy crowded area?  It was on top of that tip of the library dome.  A hawk was sitting on the tip, not moving at all.  But a crow, or raven was diving bombing him.  Again and again, the black bird came at him only 1 inch away.  The hawk was not moving at all.  It was an incredible sight.  I must watch for a few minutes then moved on.  A couple minutes later, I thought the crow left.  Then finally I saw the hawk flied away.  That left an impression on me.  The busy intersection, twilight, cars everywhere, eating eating, walking.  But hovering over them, was a struggle between 2 birds.  

2. 

Earlier this year, maybe march, I was awakened by the croak of turkeys.  I thought it was early for turkeys.  But then, what surprised me was I heard the something landing on the roof.  I turned my head and saw a strange sight.  A turkey flew to my roof, right outside of my window!  What a sight!  

3. 

I think it was a few week ago.  I was wakened by the croak of turkeys again.  The second time this year.  I wasn't impressed.  But just a little later, I heard a murder of crows or ravens crowing loudly nearby.  I immediately realized there's something wrong.  Crows must be witnessing something.  So I got up and looked out my window.  And sure enough, I saw a fox chasing after 2 turkeys.  I instantly took some pictures.  But they were of bad quality my camera don't have zoom.  After both turkeys and fox moved away, I ran outside in hope to see what would happen.  The turkeys were actually walking leisurely.  And the fox kept following them patiently.  The murder of 4 crows, fly along their paths, until they reach the elm street.  The fox saw me eventually, and I stayed a bit longer.  I stepped on the elm street, hoping to see how're the turkeys.  They still strode slowly along the elm.  The fox took off though, along with the crows.  

4. 

Crows made a nest in my pine trees at my backyard.  They were loud and very active.  It was about a couple weeks ago.   They were really loud, all 4 of them, but they were not flying around like usual.  They were all on the pine trees, did not leave.  I kept trying to see why, I thought there must be something wondered into my backyard.  But I saw nothing on the ground.  I went to bathroom and trying to poop.  Then only then, I saw something grey furs moving  along the trunk of the big pine trees.  A crow was crowing at it!!  I'd guess it was a raccoon.  But after that glimpse, I could not see it again!  The crows were still cawing though.  

5. 

A lot of roads in our town had a lot of construction all around.  So I changed my routine.  I switched to Rt. 125 bypass.  The route passed through a huge swamp, which was divided by Rt. 125.  It was unfortunate for the wild animals really.  Because I saw many dead animals along the route in the morning, the most stand out was a few dead bodies of beavers.  Very sad signs.  A road so very convenient for us, very dangerous for the rest of the animals.  And it divides the swamp, fractions the natural habitat.  

6.

Just this weekend, I went to horn pond with Aunt Grace's family.  I saw something interesting.  There was a spot for boating.   A group of Canadian geese swim towards that location.  But we were at that spot, so they held their advances and waited patiently for us leave.  Then, Roger and Becca spotted sth weird in the water.  A leaf floating with intention.  Then we realize it must be something aquatic animals like an otter.  The leaf floated towards the geese, then we saw a diving action.  A few second later, the geese was disturbed, and all of a sudden, all of them took fly, fled the water, except one goose.  He struggled some and swam alone away from the disturbed spot safely.  We never saw the otter itself though.  It was awesome.  

語言遊戲

 Hush!

With sudden gush

As from a fountain

Signs in yonder brush

The Hermit Thrush.  

--John B. Tabb

Saw the quote on YT video, which talks about Hermit Thrush.   The video showed how wonderful hermit Thrush's song is to our human ears.  And yet we human always have a hard time to locate the bird.  Because it's small, the color is ambiguous among its environment.  

The quote sounds like a fun exercise for the author, especially after I tracked down the whole poem.  I feel it is with this leisurely, playful way, showed how flexible this language can be.