Black-Necked Stilt

American Avocet

THE SHORE BIRDS ARE HERE

I went out to White Lake Friday afternoon to check out the local reports of the Shore Birds arriving in the Klamath Basin.

The report I received had the following listed; I was able to spot the birds with an *:

Marbled Godwit *

Dunlin *

American Avocet *

Black-Necked Stilt *

Least Sandpiper

Western Sandpiper

Willet

Long-Billed Dowitcher Killdeer *

Great Egret *

White Pelican *

Black Bellied Plover

Long-Billed Curlew

POSTING TIP

I have just discovered that if one selects “Preview Comment” just prior to “Publishing” your comment, and then “Publishing” it, it works on the first try.

ON THE LIGHTER SIDE:

In response to an audience question about military action against Iran, the Arizona senator, John Mc Cain, briefly sang the chorus of the surf-rocker classic "Barbara Ann."

Bomb bomb bomb - bomb bomb Iran, bomb bomb bomb - bomb bomb Iran…

Ya gotta love a guy that can come up with something that in this day and age.

COMMENTING ON A POSTING:

At the bottom, or end, of any posting is a standard line of text consisting of the following:
“Posted by rex at 6:00pm 0 comments” (0 comments will be in blue text).

Double click on the “0 comments”.

A new screen will appear.

The new screen will contain any previous comments, or your new comments, in its left column.

The top of the right column will have a Text Entry Box titled: “Leave Your Comment”, with a blinking cursor inside.

Next, type or paste your comment inside the, “Leave your Comment” Text entry Box.

Below the “Leave Your Comment Box” is a “Word Verification Box” with some random letters scrolled above it. You are requested to enter these letters into the “Word Verification Box”.

Enter the “Word Verification” letters into the box.

After “Word Verification” come the “Choose Identity” selection; it consists of three identity choices represented by three small circles, they are:
Blogger / Other / Anonymous.

Click “Other”

Next will be the opportunity to enter your Identity. By clicking “Other” you are not required to enter anything, unless you want to. You can use your actual identity or any pseudonym.

Finally, you come to the “Publish Your Comment” and “Preview” bars.

Click on the “Publish Your Comment Bar”.

You will then be notified that your comment has been published. This is not always true. Look to the left column to see if you can see your comment there, you may have to scroll down if there are previous comments. If your comment is there, you are done.

If your comment is not there, re-enter the new letters into the “Word Verification Box”, and click again on the “Publish Your Comment” bar. It seems to always work on the second try.

VALKYRIE

I’m yearning to sail across the Lake to the shores of Valhalla; to revel with the Viking Warriors, to hail Thor and Odin, and then rejoin the battle field anew, in the early dawn.

(Sail over to Rocky Point for dinner, come home and go to bed early, get up at dawn and mow the lawns.)

Pictured first is my little, “Norska”, (Hardangersjekte) sail boat, “VALKYRIE”, sitting on the shore of Upper Klamath Lake (Agency Lake) ready for this year’s sailing season.

Her hull is black, 16’ OAL, 6’ beam, double ended, with a Spirit Rig, and Tan Bark Sail (looks like a Gaff Rig). She is beautiful! Pictured second is a sketch of her Sail Plan. Pictured third is her sailing on Lake of the Woods, in Oregon.

BIRDING THE BASIN

Nancy and I were out this afternoon, touring the Lower Klamath National Wildlife Refuge. It is a beautiful sunny day here, with the temperature at a nice 59 degrees F.

Even though were out at mid day we did spot a couple of interesting critters:

Bald Eagle: we were as close a fifty feet from it!

Eared Grebe: they have just arrived in the past two weeks. The sun burst of colors on the side of their heads is spectacular!

Great Blue Heron: made me think of my Son-in-law in Long Beach, CA.

American White Pelican: they have just arrived within the past two weeks too.

THE CIVICALLY ENGAGED READER
One of the three selections from the TCER anthology for our discussion group this week, is: Franz Kafka’s, Fellowship.

We generally start our meetings with a general discussion on the topics of the day, and then work our way through a set of questions provided by the editors of the anthology.

Following is the complete text of, Fellowship, and the questions provided by the anthology. I invite my visitors to comment on this work of Kafka, from any point of view, or in response to any of the provided questions. Feel free to comment on the work its self, or any of the comments, or ask your own question.

My hope here is to develop dialog among some engaged readers, with critical, incisive, witty, and discerning writing.

FELLOWSHIP
Franz Kafka
We are five friends; one day we came out of a house one after the other; first one came and placed himself beside the gate, then the second came, or rather he glided through the gate like a little ball of quicksilver, and placed himself near the first one, and then came the third, then the fourth, then the fifth. Finally we all stood in a row. People began to notice us; they pointed at us and said: those five just came out of that house. Since then we have been living together; it would be a peaceful life if it weren’t for a sixth one continually trying to interfere. He doesn’t do us any harm, but he annoys us, and that is harm enough; why does he intrude where he is not wanted? We don’t know him and don’t want him to join us. There was a time, of course, when the five of us did not know one another, either; and it could be said that we still don’t know one another, but what is possible and can be tolerated by the five of us is not possible and cannot be tolerated with this sixth one. In any case, we are five and don’t want to be six. And what is the point of this continual being together anyhow? It is also pointless for the five of us, but here we are together and will remain together; a new combination, however, we do not want, just because of our experiences. But how is one to make all this clear to the sixth one? Long explanations would almost amount to accepting him in our circle, so we prefer not to explain and not to accept him. No matter how he pouts his lips we push him away with our elbows, but however much we push him away, he comes back.

Editor’s questions:

1) Why does the narrator say that he and the other four were “friends”? What is the reason that they continue to associate with one another?

2) How is the sixth one annoying to the first five? Why don’t they want to be six?

3) Is there anything that the first five would need to know about the sixth for him to join them?

4) Why is the narrator skeptical about “long explanations”?

5) Why does the sixth keep coming back?

6) Why do you think Kafka titled this piece “Fellowship”?

7) Where does the fellowship originate, and what sustains it?

KURT VONNEGUT

1922 – 2007

AUTHOR EXTRAORDINAIRE

Kurt was one of my favorite authors of the seventies. Slaughter House Five, Breakfast of Champions, and goodbye Mr. Rosewater, are among my all time list of favorite novels; with Billy Pilgrim and Kilgore Trout two of my favorite novel characters.

Mr. Vonnegut: you will be missed, and remembered, for a long time.

THE CIVICALLY ENGAGED READER

Our reading group met for the first time last Wednesday to discuss our new anthology series: the Civically Engaged Reader.

We discussed the first three selections:
Politics, Aristotle
Waiting for the Barbarians, Constantine Cavafy
I Shall Not Beg for My Rights, Henery MacNeal Turner

As usual the discussion was enjoyable, stimulating, and informative, for all in attendance.

Doris Geddry, who regularly brings hot coffee and cookies to our meetings, out did herself today with a full out Easter theme spread of party favors, cookies, cupcakes, and coffee. The spread was so nice Jim, her husband, went home to get his digital camera to document the occasion.

The included images from top left are of:
Ben & Janette
Philip
Ray & Doris
Carol & Nina
Jim

Never did any MENSA meeting average the IQ of this group, or was that average age…hmmmm, LOL.