(As for the image, Elliot is on vacation this week)
Maybe I’m Amazed
I live by the water–by name, the Puget Sound, a cold and unforgiving northern sea connected to the Pacific Ocean; abundant with life, ghosts and sources of amazement. When I was small I’d amaze myself with the idea that I could get in a row boat anywhere on the Sound and proceed to China without having to touch land once. I dismissed a nagging voice that informed me that I’d likely drown long before reaching the Strait of Juan de Fuca; nagging voices are for grown ups. And although I’ve dealt with the Sound in one way or another nearly everyday of my life, I do not know how to swim beyond the sort of “floating stroke” peculiar to corpses. Cold northern seas will kill an unprotected Olympic swimmer just as fast as any non-aquatic type of person; thus the skill is as futile as wearing an asbestos suit for a walk on the sun. But the sea and surroundings are excellent places to spice up reality through what I like to call “self amazement.”
Yes, the boring truth about life can be slapped around when you are capable of self amazement. For instance take the previously mentioned sun and give it a shot of amazement. Let’s say you are a child unfairly sentenced to weeding the garden by Mom for some minor crime that will be legal on your eighteenth birthday. You feel the sun on your back and you are in a mood as poisonous as oleander. Then it occurs to you it’s the same sun that shines on Mom that shone on Adolf Hitler (although it also shines on you is one of those things you must learn to ignore to conduct successful self amazement). You look back over your shoulder at the house with eyes rich with amazed wisdom; you are on to Mom. Still this fantasy has a short life. It dies when you realize that the child/parent dynamic has not been altered by your revelation and that Mom has plenty of nasty chores for smart mouthed progeny, and yet the Hitler/Mom connection does leave a little ghost of a smile on your face that she will not understand.
As we age, however, too much education and experience has a way of interfering with self amazement. Still, I have kept mine alive by transferring it to animals. Recently I was at the park and watched a Mother Duck having a tough time getting Duckling Three of Five to obey her. Little Three was a Duckling who did not feel that she should march behind equally bossy Ducklings One and Two and ahead of pushy Four and evil Five who was always pulling the youngest card. Yes, Three of Five had Middle Duck Syndrome and was “acting out” or “projecting,” (both synonyms for “being a pain in the ass”) accordingly. She bellyached and often rear-ended Two, to Two’s displeasure, and would “brake check” Four almost constantly. Both actions affected Five and One as well
Mother Ducks do not issue “Time Outs.” They react to persons such as Three of Five quickly and decisively. Thus she halted the queue and spun around like the Alien creature and was beak to beak with Three. She shared a few points in a one sided conversation, which ended with the resumption of the march. But you gotta love Three of Five, for she was still muttering dark observations under her breath (perhaps about the same sun shining on Mom that shone on the Duckling equivalent of Hitler) as they continued toward the little lagoon in the park.
From what I have observed, animal parents do not make up stories to enhance their orders. Mother Ducks, for instance, appear to be Do As I Say or Else, discipline-wise. But maybe I am wrong; maybe they warn their wayward young about the Amazing Bogey-Duck–who dips bad Ducklings in orange sauce.
As I get older I find myself observing the creatures around us more than I do people. I’m not saying I’ve got the big line on the human race, but I am pretty bored with my species because we are the type of creatures who would invent the Bogey Duck if we had feathers and were waddling the kids to the lagoon. The Sound region is heavy with wildlife and at the end there is a list of ten creatures I have seen plenty of during my daily walks. (Since we represent different parts of the world, I’m curious to see what you see when you are out in nature.)
There is no greater aim to this introduction; but if I had to connect it to writing, I’d say that when you go out for a walk, don’t ponder your troubles, whip up little stories about the creatures you see. I find that giving you imagination exercises keeps it from becoming dull and flabby.
With a Sunday Special included, we had six writers this week who have combined for a staggering 227 combined appearances. Subtract Sunday’s story by Tom Sheehan and the sum falls to six. That is because Movie on a Sunday Afternoon is Tom’s record breaking (breaking his own record, which he has owned for years) 221st LS story. And that’s just here–he has been publishing for over seventy years and his work is all over the place. His craft is a wonderfully aged thing, like old woodwork, lasting centuries with dovetailing used instead of metal fasteners. Brilliant.
Monday welcomed newcomer Mario Moussa, who, like Tom, has a flair for the poetic, as testified for by his In the Galactic Cathedral. We see lots of beautiful descriptions that we must reject because as fair as they are, they go nowhere. Yet this one sweeps the reader along and takes you on a journey that is hard to resist. And the beauty of not only having a refuge, but a place to honestly explore pain is wonderfully done in this remarkable piece.
James W Morris made a grand return on Wednesday with Brig. This is also a topic (which I will avoid mentioning) we see plenty of and must reject because regardless of the powerful emotional impact, this sort of thing is often told through tears and does not hold up well as a story. Judge for yourself, but we think that James nailed it perfectly.
E.C. Traganas debuted Wednesday with In Tandem. She captured the horrible ugliness of the situation perfectly. The filth, the downside of sexuality and the simpler, more direct problem solutions. And the ending is quite satisfying after the harrowing ordeal “Olga” survived and told.
Borderland by David Calcutt entered this dimension on Thursday. The MC was the Good Host but the visitor was something of a dick. This is a fine piece of flexible reality, and if the stranger had literally “fallen” maybe his behavior was better than normal.
We all know a “Cousin Dean” from childhood. The kid who got one over on you. And such a relation was clear and present in The Follower by our fourth newcomer, Odile Mori. The suspense in “Katie’s” mind was striking and intense, and when she discovered what it was all about you could imagine her someday serving her cousin an “Ex-lax brownie” as retribution in the near future.
As always I encourage you to check these stories out and leave a happy word or three for the writers.
I often walk over bridges and along the waterfront. I also commuted by ferry for well over twenty years. I have seen plenty of the following creatures (I leave out Gulls, Squirrels, Pigeons and Crows whose abundance suggests they are everywhere in the world. I am surprised that the Martian rovers have yet to catch any of them on film yet.)
- Ducks and Cormorants (Where you see one you will soon see the other).
- Red Tailed Hawk (big assed birds you don’t want to annoy)
- Dall’s Porpoise (these guys are about the size of an average man and closely resemble Orcas. But travel alone and skip across the water)
- Harbor Seals (they are often seen sunning their fat behinds on buoys near the hatchery)
- Sea Lions (a rarity, but I once saw one of these immense beasts parked on someone’s stretch of beach. He/she attracted many gawkers before departing)
- Salmon (especially with garlic butter)
- Racoons (almost as abundant as Pigeons, the streets are jammed with these cat food bandits during the Vampire hours)
- Deer (used to be a rare thing but they are everywhere anymore, due to the dwindling amount of hunters in the region–I imagine there will soon be Wolves on this list)
- Bald Eagles (Many couples live on the banks of the Washington Narrows, always messing with the Crows and Gulls, raiding their nests–majestic but poor neighbors)
- The Psychotic Kingfisher (This guy is a regular at the Marina. His call is intimidating and he just stands on the dock waiting…then he unerringly spears and swallows a bullhead in one lightning motion. He makes an awful, croaking noise that puts everyone on edge).
I close with a clip to honor a passing of a legend
literally stories 
Great post Yes, I agree wholeheartedly, inventing worlds for the little guys to live in is great fun. I also acknowledge that they have their own world and it probably isn’t a cute and cuddly as we would like to believe.
I envy you living near to the water (I don’t think the canal which we overlook counts, though it is better than many other outlooks we could have.)
We have a wonderful range of wildlife here and in the garden alone I have seen
Hares
Wild Boar
Deer
several different varieties of snake – The Western Whip Snake probably being the most impressive.
Stoats and weasles
Foxes (though the cry at night is disconcerting)
We have an amazing array of little feathered guys the most impressive being an occassional Golden Oriel and the Hoopoe who this year has nested in our shrubbery.
When the basement is damp and the spalling roof tiles have littered the patio I am comforted by the wild sanctuary that we have the priveledge to share with them.
thanks – Diane
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hello Diane
Seeing a Wild Boar must be exciting as well as nervy, like with a Bear. Interestingly almost no Snakes here except for the little, harmless Garden Snakes. Over the mountains are Rattlesnakes, they can stay right where they are.
Thank you,
Leila
LikeLiked by 1 person
Excellent post with some sage advice. I think we need more Mother Ducks of the human variety. We’re pretty mundane creature-wise in landlocked Illinois. I did see a bald eagle fly over our backyard once as it headed for the river. Our security cam recorded a bobcat, but I’ve not seen one in person. Red fox are frequent and beautiful. Quite a few coyotes. I really o’possums for some reason.
LikeLiked by 3 people
Hello David
Ah, the weirdness of the Possum. I have one who comes by and she is certainly an alien being from another galaxy. Bobcat sighting impressive.
Washington is a strange state because on the east side, over the Cascades, there are Bears, Antelope, Coyotes, Rattlers and Cougars. It’s like crossing over to The Land Before Time.
Thank you!
Leila
LikeLike
Enjoyed the Donald Sutherland clip. He captured bemusement perfectly; I think my favourite of his is Steelyard Blues (also a great part there for Peter Boyle).
I’m also a walker. I live on the edge of the Highlands, but these days I’m too short of wind and too creaky in the knees for the high hills. My backyard backs onto the Laighills, which used to be the town’s common grazings and is now a semi-wild park. Goldcrests come mob-handed to my bird-feeder; I’m told they used to be a rarity because they were captured for sale as cage birds – so it’s good to see them wild and free. The Laighills has deer and rabbits galore. Bordering the Laighills is the Allanwater, a swift-flowing river with kingfishers and (my favourite) herons – such an exotic-looking bird for a domesticated British landscape.
LikeLiked by 3 people
Hi Mick
I also recall a Sutherland film called The Eye of the Needle co-starring Kate Nelligan. He was one of those rare quirky leads there never been enough of.
Envious of Heron sightings. I heard a Kingfisher braying over the bay at sunrise. That meant he had killed breakfast. Even the Hawks give that guy a wide berth. I regret being too busy to observe nature when I was younger!
Thank you!
Leila
LikeLike
Old Oregonian sympathizes and empathizes.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Dearest Leila,
I am shocked and dismayed (can it ever be the other way ’round?) to read your list and NOT see Canadian Cow Birds aka., Canadian geese. Those of us who squished Puget’s soggy shores know all too well that much of the squish is organic, nasty, and goose-deposited.
If I invented a story about the Geese-Who-Refuse-To-Migrate-Damn-Them, it would be a tale where the soft-hearted Northwesteners did NOT protest the removal of the geese, much less their culling, but instead turned on the waddling beast with savage glee, rending handfuls of fluffy goose down into the leaden skies and letting it drift onto the poop-infested beaches.
Also: Slugs
Marco
LikeLiked by 2 people
Marco!
I am surrounded by those big Geese at work on base. They appear to have emigrated from the big Maple Leaf, because I see them fly in from the south and remain until October. Some of the big ones can be intimidating.
Slugs I suppose have as much a right to live as anything, but I am revolted by them, and perhaps you recall “Sluggy” on Almost Live with John Keister.
Thank you for being a Goose advocate!
Leila
LikeLike
My editor who is also a nature guide would not cheer your dislike of slugs. They are the garbagemen of the woods. They never have a problem getting a date because they are hermaphrodites. Tongues have thousands of teeth. Fascinating.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I should say anti-advocate. You certainly can tell where a flock of them have been. Lots of fiber in the Goose diet.
Leila
LikeLike
To all
For some reason my “likes” refuse to stick. Must be this phone; strange thing but I guess we are alive to participate in planned obsolescence.
Leila
LikeLike
Leila – We southerners share most of your wildlife. You probably get ospreys too. When we cruised the Sea Of Cortez most of the sealife and birds were familiar to us.
Cold you say? I recall dipping in the Specific Ocean and coming out blue.
Mr. Mirth
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hello Doug
I imagine we have the usual suspects critter-wise.
It’s only fair that Slugs get some respect, but they still give me the shivers.Still, I agree they do make unwanted items disappear. But why must they be so gross!
Take care and be mirthful in Oregon!
Leila
LikeLike
Hi Leila,
I love how your lists always inspire comments!!
Now-a-days, I don’t really see any interesting beasties but when I lived next to the harbour, the wee mental Guillemots were a favourite that I never tired of watching!
We see the odd Sparrow Hawk hovering which is a beautiful site, not for the vole or mouse it has spotted but they are stunning birds.
I once saw a Heron perched up a twenty foot tree and that was just weird looking!
I love any reference to ‘Animal House’! But I must say that I thought the ten minutes or less that Mr Sutherland was in as Mr X in JFK was Oscar worthy.
Brilliant as always!!
Hugh
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hugh
Yes he was great in JFK. I recall him smiling only the way he could and saying “No way in hell” upon being asked to testify.
Never seen a Blue Heron, that species tends to hang around the Pacific coast than the inland sea. Still, Kingfisher makes up for any lack of weirdness. Once heard a Loon in Canada. Sounded like a spirit escaped from hell. Then I saw one, a plump Bird with tiny wings. A dorky Bird to be honest. Ah nature!
Leila
LikeLike
Hi Leila,
I meant to say but not sure if this counts, on the way home from the pub I saw a Griffin, Dodo and a Unicorn on the back of Nessie. It was one of my more normal nights!!
Hugh
LikeLike
Hugh
Ha! Being northwestern Americans, both Mr. Hawley and I see Bigfoot (or is that Bigfeet) so often that it doesn’t rate mention. Still what you describe would make a very interesting image!
Leila
LikeLike
Leila,
These are 12 creatures I regularly see in the forest preserves outside Chicago while walking 2 Siberian Huskies and 1 pit bull (Bandit, Boo, and Colonel). Thanks for calling attention to the other animals we share the planet with, all interesting characters in their own right.
Coyote. Red fox. Raccoon. Opossum. Cardinal. Red-winged blackbird. Crow. Hawk. Turtle. White-tailed deer. River otter. Canada geese. (The river otters have been re-introduced by humans, and the geese don’t migrate any more because of human-caused climate change).
Sincerely,
Dale
LikeLike
Hi Dale
Thank you for dropping by. I have never seen a Fox in the wild, and I don’t think I have seen one in a zoo.
Dogs are wonderful persons in their own rights and their senses probably make them many times more aware of the world than we are.
Thanks again!
Leila
LikeLike
Dear Leila,
The red foxes I’ve seen in Illinois are usually headed in the opposite direction, going away across a field, but earlier this spring I was lucky enough to see one trotting down the sidewalk in a fairly busy suburban neighborhood. S/he was acting as if the modern world all around had never existed and when I looked again had disappeared under someone’s hedge, as if vanishing in some kind of animal magic act.
Thanks for pointing out the awesome personalities of dogs. Some of them are way more interesting than some of the two-legged creatures who look down on them. The ultimate outsider, but at the same time probably the smartest animal on the planet (next to humans) because they understand humans so well?
Thanks for your insights!
Sincerely,
Dale
LikeLike
Thoroughly enjoyed your post thanks Leila! What a lovely array of wildlife you all come across. Here in Oz we have around 75% of the world’s most out of order creatures … we ignore those (unless the dog’s been bitten by a brown stick) and focus on the cute marsupials playing dare along the highway.
Off to catch up on all the LS stories I’ve missed – Enjoy the rest of your week!
LikeLike
Hi Karen
Thank you for dropping by. Down under has always been fascinating in my mind. But I don’t think I would like to be anywhere near a Box Jellyfish!
Leila
LikeLike
I also grew up by the coast the North Sea in north east England and it’s a place, despite not having lived there for over 30 years, that features frequently in my writing. There is something about living next to the sea that stays with you in a way that living in land doesn’t I think. A thought-provoking post – thank you.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you Paul
Yes, seas that are connected to the ocean are amazing. Never know who or what will drift in. A thirty foot Gray Whale came to the bay last year. People thought it was going to beach, but instead it ate about half the salmon hatchlings at the fish farm release point and went back to the Pacific. Thanks again!
Leila
LikeLike
Dear Leila,
Thanks again for writing about such an important topic in such a unique, interesting, and engaging way.
Just want to throw a word out there for the great fresh water sea of Lake Michigan, 300 miles long and over 100 miles wide, approximately. This water is also what made Chicago, Chicago. There are certain beaches in the northern part of the city where you can commune with the water and its spirit in complete seclusion, especially at night.
I sometimes feel about Lake Michigan like Thomas Jefferson did, when he wrote about Lake George, New York: “without comparison, the most beautiful water I ever saw.”
I appreciate the insights and inspiration!
Dale
LikeLike
Thank you Dale!
I find the Great Lakes amazing. Only saw them once, as a child, but by themselves each on dwarfs the Puget Sound.
Thanks again!
Leila
LikeLike