Oh—June was going to end the book here, but Quasi wants to add stuff.
PART 4 QUASI ADDS ON
Actually, there’s a whole lot June would like to talk about, that she didn’t, so I thought I’d tack some on. But when I told her how much I wanted to say, at first, she told me NO. Then she said OK if I could keep it down to six chapters, the length of one of her sections. She changed her mind again when she could see by my grinning face I was thinking 100 pages per chapter, and she said the whole thing had to be about 9 pages, the length of one of her sections. Well, I better get started.
1 My Trusty Friend Coffee—see, June needs you now
Remember when he first said, “I don’t think she needs me; she has Serra Fin to listen to her.”? Well, after Serra Fin was gone, he noticed June coming to Step Creek one day looking rather lost. From the top of the tree, he called down to her,
“I’m not real smart, like Serra Fin.” And he continued; “But I’m not going anywhere, so if you want, talk. I’ll listen.”
And he did. From a heron’s high perch, he just listened. The next week he flew lower to a cherry tree, and the next month, Coffee flew over to a small sapling where he was close enough to touch.
Of all the animals, this one probably did the biggest turnaround in June’s heart her few years at the park. Several years ago, she was deathly afraid of them. Now she feels an endearment to them she can’t even explain herself.
Perhaps her introduction to these creatures was when she was looking for a turtle, and at first jumped at the sight of the curled edge of sheet plastic around the island’s edge which looked queerly like a black snake. Although it was not any animal, it made her think about its right to live if it had been one. The next time was when June saw a turtle on a rainy day. Its head kept getting extended farther and farther out, and June could see no shell…no feet…she realized she was looking at a swimming snake.
Because she’d started out looking at it, thinking it was a turtle—whom she loves—she thought she really had to love it now. She thought of it as a turtle that lost its shell and legs…the head of the non-poisonous snake, after all, looks very much like the turtle.
That was June’s introduction to Lenny, the Four-Lined Rat Snake. She met the tree-climbing Ao Taisho (whom she named Tai) the following year. It coiled on some branches at Carp Cove, and June met Tai there three times that year.
During their times together, she told him there is writing of the “wisdom of the serpent”, “movement of the serpent on the rock.” I think June has a special bias for Tai though. She thinks other snakes are fine, but says Tai’s eyes are “round, clear, and beautiful.”
June says snakes have been given a bum rap: that they are timid and would not hurt you, would rather not fight. Only as a last resort—if stepped on, for example—would they bite.
3 Carp Old-Timers
June doesn’t talk about it much, but probably one of her fondest memories at the park is a rainy day party at Lower Bridge. When she first came to the park, she took lots of pictures of the carp there: a beautiful golden carp, her best friend Marble, 5 crimson carp: Marmalade, Cherry Fin, Slit, Valentine, & Young’Un; and the wise carp: Elder and Copper. From all the pictures was put together a story of friendship and of growing old. Now she recognizes Jesse Fin and Newsprint too.
Carp gathered at Lower Bridge most rainy days. So one day, when I saw June was depressed for some reason, I called all the Old Timers who were in “Goldie’s Last Hurrah” plus Ben, another of June’s favorite carp friends (an “elephant” carp), and we had a great time talking about that story.
(I shouldn’t say “we”. I wasn’t in the story or even a carp so left as soon as things got going!)
Something would be missing if the “elegant white birds,” weren’t flying overhead. The Egret seems to add a touch of beauty and class to a normal day.
They are joined by the Great Blue Heron, and these majestic birds’ high calls can be heard in the skies of the park.
It’s a Mystery to Me
What has awed me time and time again, however is when they fish. They stand in the shallow water of the pond and somehow convince the fish swimming in it that their feet and legs are the root and stalk of reeds; wait for them to come swimming close enough to catch them, spearing them with their beaks if they’re too large to swallow them quickly.
Vision of Hawks?
These birds—what kind of eyes do they have, that they can spot fish swimming in the water underneath the lily pads? All my years watching them, I haven’t been able to figure out that one.
5 Snappy’s Still Here
“What? Quasi, you’re not writing about THAT, are you?!” - June
“But June, it’s like the Montys said: I need to get past a hurt in my life to go forward. This book isn’t touching something you don’t like thinking about--but can’t I write about it just a little?”
“only a little then…”
Good. It was after a terrible typhoon hit Japan. When June returned to the park, she saw all the carp in the creek were gone. This is part of a journal entry written about a dragonfly friend:
When I looked over at Duck Pond, I saw the turtles basking, and there were baby turtles too. I was so glad. I’d been afraid the typhoon blew them all away. I kidded them about having shells to protect them, but I was so relieved. Most of the carp in Duck Pond weren’t protected, after all, I told them. But in the far end of the pond, a fish breeched, as if to let me know, “they didn’t get all of us!”
A few red dragonflies were breezing over the pond.
“Hey, if you’re Dragonfly Snappy, stop on this boulder here,” I said. I really didn’t expect it to. Guess what it did?!
People will say—that’s just what dragonflies do. Coincidence!
“Yeah?” I almost heard Snappy say. And it let me photograph it real close, then swirled up and stopped on a rock below in a Snappy-ish pose.
“You remembered me?” it seemed Snappy said.
“Of course I remembered you! I was worried the typhoon got you.”
“No. Dragonflies were ok. Carp got it bad though.”
“Yeah. I thought what if there’s no life left in the pond…not even Snappy!”
(Snappy began flying in circles—was that a dragonfly smile?)
“Take care, Snappy—I’ll be back tomorrow!”
6 Hodgepodge Birds
One day, lots of tripod photographers came to Duck Pond. The Mallards who were swimming in the pond didn’t make it a problem, just moved to Step Creek until the cameramen got tired and went home. The next time they came to the pond, the Mallards went across the path to look for insects. The Mallards looked like they thought they would encourage their friends by not getting in the way. Anyone needing an example of cooperation should watch the mallards.
Pigeons are so overlooked. Sweater designers forever need to look for inspiration for their winter wear, but these birds have feather designs that are delightful, all different; and on their necks, pigeons have lavender rainbow-like patches (natural pearl collars befitting gentlemen and ladies of the court?) And pigeons coo--a soothing, dreamy, charming sound, so different from the high trill, clear sound called “singing”, yet no less desirable—and you want to keep hearing it, over and over.
“It’s just a pigeon.” People say. Just a pigeon?! My dear pigeon, hold your head up high—you are a gift of nature—loved of God, smile of the Creator, a masterpiece!
Oh no; only a little more space left to talk about all the “Little Birds” June has fallen in love with! (Quasi, you can have more room. I see you’re keeping it short. That’s okay; really. –June)
Whew! Lessee…June thinks people don’t take enough time to notice the beauty of the blending black, brown, and white of Sparrows that go flying through the sky. If their comfortable chirping stopped all of a sudden though, something would seem very wrong. On the top of trees are small Japanese Finches, who look like little round notes skipping on leaves. There is no pushing around gutsy Mukudoris, and there are silver-tuxedoed Hakusekireis, woodpecker Peckwicks, chestnut-colored Tsugumis photographed thru’ a car window, tiny feathered soprano Sumis.
Recently, when June was sad she couldn’t tell birds apart by hearing their call, as famous writer, Gilbert White, could; a nearby sparrow told her it was ok; maybe he could recognize birds’ voices after many years, but even he started out by just loving them all!
Sighing, Quasi took off her neuro-scriber headgear and yawned.
“Well, I got it all done in less than 9 pages; did I pass June?”
“Yes, Quasi. Thank you.”
“I was…just wondering,” Quasi said in the middle of another big yawn, “June, will you own a park someday?”
“Oh Quasi, that would be so nice.” She gently pushed Quasi’s sleeping form into her shell, then found herself falling asleep too.
A great white bird tiptoes in thru’ the windowsill then carries the turtle back to her home in Deeper Pond, leaving June’s head resting on Quasi’s 9 pages, tiny arrow marks tracking across them.
END
Added Later:
IS THAT QUASI?
From email 5-20-2022
A piece of good news from the park--you'd be familiar with this name. Quasi. I'd been slightly saddened that altho' I was happy her shell had healed and she was shaped normally, she looked like all other "normal" turtles now. Other than swimming towards me--and having a really strong telepathy I don't know how to explain--I had no other way of identifying her. Until the other day. I think I noticed one of the turtles basking at Lower Bridge--the largest one, actually--had, if you looked carefully, a light indentation mark all the way across the diagonal front part of the shell--I think that's where the lawmower blade hit her shell at the accident, so when I first saw her, Quasi had a shoe-shaped shell, but that part has domed out now...but I realized if I'd looked closely, I could tell now, since none of the other turtles have those marks! That made me happy.
Oh--the other turtle with Quasi? That's Bilbo. I decided to name him too, because he comes regularly. "Bilbo Basker," see? This poor fellow, for some reason, after a certain number of years, his shell stopped growing. So the rest of his body kept getting bigger, but his backbone cartilage seemed to have quit. In good spirits tho', see him quite often basking at Lower Bridge, and once just his snorkel in Deeper Pond.
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