For Love of Lakes
Author ~ Darby Nelson: Aquatic Ecologist, Prof. Emeritus
"Deep feelings of joy, of belonging, envelop me. Boundaries melt, I seem as one with water, rock, and lily, all part of a magnificent whole. ~ Darby Nelson
Landscape is not "land," it is not "nature," and it is not space...
A place owes its character to the experience it affords to those who
spend time there, to the sights and sounds, and indeed the smells, that
constitute its specific ambience. And those in turn, depend on the
kind of activities in which its inhabitants engage. ~ Tim Ingold
We are the landscape of all we have seen. ~ Isamu Naguchi
Welcome ~ Pull up your chair and join us.
We are reading the section entitled -
Mindscapes.
If you would like to join us and do not have your book we found that most of the book available to read from the Amazon preview link: For Love of Lakes Link to, For Love of Lakes and tell us:- Tell us about 'your' nearby lake? How clear is the water? Are there wigglies in the water or floating bits? Has algae fouled the water?
- Do you have memories of other lakes - what was special, how large was the lake and did you swim from a beach or fish from a dock or boat?
- What did you know of Lake Agassiz and Louis Agassiz?
- How does Stephen A. Forbes fit into the story of Lake Agassiz? - We learned most of our northern lakes and beaches were covered by an ice cap during the ice age. Water from a ghost lake, the ancient Agassiz surged and topped moraine dams, the result of glacier deposits and torrents of waters cut through the till... "huge boulders too large to be moved" accumulated and stopped the downcutting, forming lakes, ponds and rivers while altering the landscape we live with today.
- Do you ever remember drinking directly from a river or lake?
- Is there a quiet spot on your lake where you can hear the wind and the lap of the water?
Darby Nelson is a beautiful writer who adeptly weaves his cast of characters; insects, minuscule lake life, and rocks into a story of interdependence with his cast of birds and plant characters.
One, without the other is not possible and then, he enlightens us to the lake culprits that are draining the oxygen from our lakes, killing our fish and contaminating plants and birds. He tells the story as if a ballet, weaving and floating word pictures that show the beauty of these connections. His book would make a breathtaking movie rather than simply a documentary of facts and problems.
Rather than a list of focus questions, we are reading and sharing the words and information that strike us as well as, photos that further our understanding and enjoyment of the book (as Jane says, of reasonable size - A width of about 400 pixels should do it - need help with that please ask)
Let's continue to share 'our' lake stories and links to sites that make easy the lessons Darby Nelson, ever the teacher, is uncovering in For Love of Lakes
Barb, my brother and his wife moved here three years before I did. I visited them and really liked the city. It is small enough to be doable (I can drive without fear). It also has an opera company, ballet, symphony, several theaters, a branch of the University of South Florida.
Pat H-Funny you should mention the "green flash" I have never seen it, but last April I went on a long cruise to the South Pacific. I unhappily report that I was sick and mostly doing the hermit thing in my cabin. I knew nothing about the the flash until we discussed it one night at dinner. I tried to catch a few sunsets, but no luck.
