We are at Tenkiller Lake
Today at dusk Jonah chased a heron. If there is any bird I've drilled him on, its the kasqoi, the heron which is the true name of our home in Maine. He saw it as he ran back down to the shore, and turned and ran to it, visibly excited. It landed in a tree on the opposite shore of the arm of the lake where the CoE camp is situated. As he spun about the (mostly railed) float, between trips back up the float walk to the shore for its rocks, when I stopped him and held his head still and gave him my whole (broken) arm, hand and finger to sight down, he recognized it still sitting in the tree.
Later of course we heard is sqwanking off into the dark. Just as the kasqoi had 10 months ago, 900 miles to the north east, when Jonah first really appreciated heron.
I suppose I should mention that Heron was a chief of the Kennebec Abenakis, and that Jonah, and all of our children, are descendents of Heron -- Kasqoi in Abenaki, and that the body of water that Portland, or Falmouth Neck in the English usage of the 17th century, is situated upon, is the Place of Cranes. The Bay of Herons. Casco Bay. Au Kasqo.
Comments
Jonah has good taste in birds.
Posted by: Hawise | May 31, 2007 09:17 AM
Hope the water-level is up. When the boys and I were there last summer, it was not only low but bathwater warm,
Posted by: The Local Crank | June 1, 2007 12:20 AM
...and at Tenkiller Lake, the great blue heron is Ga-nu-tsi-ta-li. I saw one just this morning, flying above a creek and under a bridge near downtown. You never used to see them around here, probably crowded out by the ubiquitous cowbirds, but now I've seen several. Maybe I should take that as a good sign.
Posted by: The Local Crank | June 1, 2007 01:00 AM
Hey Crank,
Water level is up due to the recent rains, the water is shit colored on acount of the chicken farms dumping into the Illinois River in Arkansas, and we're counting turtles.
Yesterday a water moccasin came ashore on the CoE arm, and Grace, Kezzie and I watched it for a bit.
Posted by: ebw | June 1, 2007 01:47 PM
"Water level is up due to the recent rains"
Yay!
"the water is shit colored on acount of the chicken farms dumping into the Illinois River in Arkansas"
Eh, sigh.
"and we're counting turtles."
I saw a HUGE (like hubcap-sized) turtle in the creek this morning. Way bigger than anything you normally see 'round these parts.
"Yesterday a water moccasin came ashore on the CoE arm"
ugantena is mean. I've seen 'em chase people.
Posted by: The Local Crank | June 2, 2007 02:52 AM