SJ Rozan

Multo bird action on the river today. When I got to my bench a flock of seagulls had taken up residence on a stretch of water to the south. The gulls around here tend to hang out in groups no bigger than three or four, but here were two dozen all floating around on water so glassy they could see their reflections. Did they admire them? Who knows? But for sure there must have been some good eating in that water. Three Gadwalls landed to check it out, but they apparently decided whatever it was wasn’t worth getting mixed up with seagulls. They paddled north, through the piling field. As they were doing that, a raggedy flock of about two dozen Brant geese came earnestly flapping. They almost landed near — or, being Brants, on — the Gadwalls, but lifted up and slipped around the children’s pier. Almost immediately on their white behinds came another flock the same size, going in the same direction. Two more Gadwalls emerged from under the pier and swam south, to have a barnacle breakfast in the piling field. Out on the end of the children’s pier, two buffleheads spent some time bobbing around, giving themselves baths. As I left the park I passed half a dozen robins, hoping to find worms in the thawing ground.

At piling field’s end

White buoy bobs. On path, same shape:

Orange cone stands still.

White gull pushes off,

Soaring high above pilings,

Drops to skim small waves.

Lost orange balloon

Floating north on fast current,

Pinballs through pilings.

It’s not my holiday, and there’s so much to object to in the way we’ve found to celebrate it; but there’s an underlying message of peace and generosity in Christmas that’s endlessly hopeful and appealing. So from my bench to yours, from my river to yours, from my city to yours, and — forgive my sappiness — from my heart to yours, peace.

christmas morning 2013

Joseph Rock was an Austrian-American botanist and ethnographer who lived in Yunnan Province from 1922 to 1949. The village where he had a house is called Yuhu (Jade) Village, and is known as “Rock’s Village” in those parts. We spent a rainy morning there. In addition to strolling through Rock’s own house and the streets of the village, we were welcomed in a teahouse run by a young woman who up until recently was the Nature Conservancy staffer in Li Jiang. She gave us a fascinating impromptu talk (over steaming coffee and tea!) about the policy and processes of doing conservation work in Yunnan. A tip of the wool cap to my trip roommate, Gwen Howard, for having found her.

rain in rock’s village

rain at rock’s front door

apple tree and garden wall

rainy day at the garland-making stall

melons

beehive

Click on any of these to get to the rest.

Amazing sight at the river this morning. Unseasonably — and unreasonably — warm air over cold water produced a high fog bank. When I got down there the fog was white, and extended so high from the surface of the water that the Jersey shoreline and the bottom half of the towers had disappeared. The ferry terminal was gone, all but the spire. The buildings looked like they were only their top halves and they stood on a white mesa about twenty feet high. I watched for a few minutes and then the whole fog bank started flowing toward me. It moved swiftly, almost menacing. Soon, because it was so much closer, the buildings and the spire and the piling field just disappeared and white turned to gray. Then fog surrounded me. I could see clearly the railing I leaned on and the tree beside me; to the right and left the trees and railing faded out as the fog curled in over the walkway. I heard joggers — very few of them — before I saw them, followed their progress, saw them disappear into the fog. As it slid up the streets it began to dissipate. By the time I left the river, the far shore was coming into view again.

Spectacular.

Thin bright morning mist.

Out at end of piling field,

Red-and-white buoy shines.

Against mottled clouds

Three geese fly high, upriver.

Two ducks swoop below.

Last night’s melted snow:

Puddles reflect silver sky,

Walkway’s water-dark.

Li Jiang, the ancient capital of the Naxi kingdom.

our hotel

black dragon pool park

locals

painted details

crowd

ancient basketball

peaches and plums (told you there was more food coming)

Okay, now start the photos from my China trip. First, Shanghai.

the picture you never thought you’d see — sj rozan at a dior show

the first of many food photos from this trip

fabric market

doing homework

looking over the matchmaker’s clients

view from the bund

More on Flickr; just click on any of these…

Subtitled, “How much do I adore the Annenberg Foundation?” This story made my week.

Many pages of way cool things to flip through. (These things are so cool, I don’t know how my books got in there. But they’re on page 8). Now you can give gifts your friends will definitely not see coming. And you can Save the Village at the same time!