A student pilot in Vancouver, British Columbia captured this image of two seagulls appearing to dance on the balcony of his apartment. His blog, happylife, is worth reading just for the photographs, but his insightful observations on Canadian life also make me smile. Only a foreigner really notices what we're like, and Mochi has a very keen sense of observation, plus is unashamed of absolute honesty about what he sees.
And I have to like someone who likes seagulls. Sometimes I feel like the only person who likes seagulls, especially among pilots. Yes, they're a hazard, and yes they earn the nickname "shithawks" every day. But I'm glad someone else can appreciate their intelligence and flying skills. I remember when I was a student pilot someone telling a story that began with "The wind was so bad that even the seagulls weren't flying ..." That made me realize that not much stops them. What is the maximum demonstrated crosswind capability of a seagull, anyway? Greater than their stalling speed, for sure.
Also, as this entry demonstrates, despite my every attempt to return to my own voice, his syntax is weirdly infectious.
4 comments:
I love watching seagulls... especially when it's really windy, it seems as if they are not moving at all... also very funny watching them come into land, most of them manage beautifully but there is always one who stumbles in like a drunk! :D
I love it when the maroons go off to alert the lifeboat (bang! ....bang!) All the seagulls panic and go flying and all seem to be screeching "f*ck me! f*ck me! What was that???!!!"
One of the favorite gifts I received as a young teenager was a hardbound copy of Jonathan Livingston Seagull. It was accompanied by a black and white poster of a lone seagull, flying low over the waves, with the phrase Let's begin with level flight.
It occurs to me that I have the opportunity to make use of that phrase this weekend. I am to give a presentation on advanced programming practices for a specific embedded computer system. Before I show the fancy tricks and concepts, I will first make sure the students get a comprehensive overview of the standard programming techniques, so they have a firm foundation on which to base the advanced stuff.
where do seagulls go during a hurricane?the're back right afterwards.the Vancouver photos are stunning.i live in England and love photography,nature,sunrises and sunsets.we have seagull nests near us,and watching the youngsters doing first hovers, then flights is so good.
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