Comments on: Enigmatic http://www.vianegativa.us/2006/08/enigmatic/ How can we live without the unknown before us? —Rene Char Sun, 12 Feb 2012 19:48:49 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Dave http://www.vianegativa.us/2006/08/enigmatic/#comment-1748 Dave Mon, 04 Jun 2007 02:03:56 +0000 http://www.vianegativa.us/2006/08/21/enigmatic/#comment-1748 Well, sure. I imagine that was a big reason for its apparent sun-worship. Just found in the abstract for a paper in <em>The Condor</em> (Vol. 87, No. 3 [Aug., 1985)] pp. 350-355): "Turkey Vultures appear to spread their wings for at least two reasons: (1) to dry feathers, and (2) to ameliorate the thermal gradient between themselves and their environment ..." (Though the bird I was watching wasn't doing the wing-spreading thing.) Well, sure. I imagine that was a big reason for its apparent sun-worship. Just found in the abstract for a paper in The Condor (Vol. 87, No. 3 [Aug., 1985)] pp. 350-355):
“Turkey Vultures appear to spread their wings for at least two reasons: (1) to dry feathers, and (2) to ameliorate the thermal gradient between themselves and their environment …” (Though the bird I was watching wasn’t doing the wing-spreading thing.)

]]> By: Lori Witzel http://www.vianegativa.us/2006/08/enigmatic/#comment-1747 Lori Witzel Mon, 04 Jun 2007 00:28:05 +0000 http://www.vianegativa.us/2006/08/21/enigmatic/#comment-1747 A random hypothesis about vulture motivation... I've seen them atop street lights in winter, holding their spread wings out just at sunrise. I've seen them do the same thing in rural West Texas, and have wondered (since they usually look cold, damp and otherwise a bit miserable) if they are warming/drying themselves after a chill night. So perhaps this one was soaking in the day's last long rays, before the cooler evening put a chill in his light bones. A random hypothesis about vulture motivation…

I’ve seen them atop street lights in winter, holding their spread wings out just at sunrise. I’ve seen them do the same thing in rural West Texas, and have wondered (since they usually look cold, damp and otherwise a bit miserable) if they are warming/drying themselves after a chill night.

So perhaps this one was soaking in the day’s last long rays, before the cooler evening put a chill in his light bones.

]]> By: Via Negativa » Blog Archive » Sunset http://www.vianegativa.us/2006/08/enigmatic/#comment-1746 Via Negativa » Blog Archive » Sunset Sun, 03 Jun 2007 13:09:07 +0000 http://www.vianegativa.us/2006/08/21/enigmatic/#comment-1746 [...] As for me, I’ve discovered this before: turning my back to the sunset — that photographic cliché — does no good whatsoever. I have too much at stake: where would any of us be without our mental habits? What new ground would support us? Five hundred years after Copernicus, accurate knowledge about the rotation of the earth does nothing to prevent this fiery idol of ours from continuing to travel an alabaster sky and to descend each evening into the earth. [...] [...] As for me, I’ve discovered this before: turning my back to the sunset — that photographic cliché — does no good whatsoever. I have too much at stake: where would any of us be without our mental habits? What new ground would support us? Five hundred years after Copernicus, accurate knowledge about the rotation of the earth does nothing to prevent this fiery idol of ours from continuing to travel an alabaster sky and to descend each evening into the earth. [...]

]]> By: Via Negativa » Blog Archive » Pear economics http://www.vianegativa.us/2006/08/enigmatic/#comment-1745 Via Negativa » Blog Archive » Pear economics Fri, 25 Aug 2006 11:31:36 +0000 http://www.vianegativa.us/2006/08/21/enigmatic/#comment-1745 [...] My mother cut up and froze the rest of the peaches from the box marked “Thoreau” and gave it to me to fill with pears. Alas, there’s nothing remotely Thoreauvian about our pear tree, though we haven’t had to prune it in years. It’s a dwarf, genetically identical to every other Bartlett pear tree in the world, and this year, as most years, it was loaded. We are always amazed that this one, 15-foot tree, which looks especially small standing out in the middle of the field, can pack so much fruit into such an economical space. We planted it back in the mid-70s along with five other fruit trees in that location, but we didn’t fully appreciate the necessity of fencing everything from the white-tailed deer then. The Bartlett was the only survivor. [...] [...] My mother cut up and froze the rest of the peaches from the box marked “Thoreau” and gave it to me to fill with pears. Alas, there’s nothing remotely Thoreauvian about our pear tree, though we haven’t had to prune it in years. It’s a dwarf, genetically identical to every other Bartlett pear tree in the world, and this year, as most years, it was loaded. We are always amazed that this one, 15-foot tree, which looks especially small standing out in the middle of the field, can pack so much fruit into such an economical space. We planted it back in the mid-70s along with five other fruit trees in that location, but we didn’t fully appreciate the necessity of fencing everything from the white-tailed deer then. The Bartlett was the only survivor. [...]

]]> By: Dave http://www.vianegativa.us/2006/08/enigmatic/#comment-1744 Dave Thu, 24 Aug 2006 11:40:19 +0000 http://www.vianegativa.us/2006/08/21/enigmatic/#comment-1744 Thanks for stopping by. Thanks for stopping by.

]]> By: ~C4Chaos http://www.vianegativa.us/2006/08/enigmatic/#comment-1743 ~C4Chaos Wed, 23 Aug 2006 10:19:21 +0000 http://www.vianegativa.us/2006/08/21/enigmatic/#comment-1743 awesome pics! your first pic reminds me <a href="http://flickr.com/photos/coolmel/4731031/" rel="nofollow">one of my personal favorite pics</a> that i shot a while back :) thanks for sharing your photographic adventure. ~C (for Click that shutter) awesome pics! your first pic reminds me one of my personal favorite pics that i shot a while back :)

thanks for sharing your photographic adventure.

~C (for Click that shutter)

]]> By: Dave http://www.vianegativa.us/2006/08/enigmatic/#comment-1742 Dave Wed, 23 Aug 2006 00:13:22 +0000 http://www.vianegativa.us/2006/08/21/enigmatic/#comment-1742 Thanks for all the comments -- much appreciated. Pica - A vulture coo sounds like something worth hearing! Q.R.R. - For some reason I got out of the habit of carrying a tripod a few months ago. I guess I've accepted the reality that I'll remain a dilettante where photography is concerned. Thanks for all the comments — much appreciated.

Pica – A vulture coo sounds like something worth hearing!

Q.R.R. – For some reason I got out of the habit of carrying a tripod a few months ago. I guess I’ve accepted the reality that I’ll remain a dilettante where photography is concerned.

]]> By: zhoen http://www.vianegativa.us/2006/08/enigmatic/#comment-1741 zhoen Tue, 22 Aug 2006 22:01:50 +0000 http://www.vianegativa.us/2006/08/21/enigmatic/#comment-1741 (o) (o)

]]> By: quiet regular reader http://www.vianegativa.us/2006/08/enigmatic/#comment-1740 quiet regular reader Tue, 22 Aug 2006 21:13:26 +0000 http://www.vianegativa.us/2006/08/21/enigmatic/#comment-1740 wow, that last shot's a beaut. wish you'd had your tripod but I know it might be difficult carrying it through the forest...crisper vulture head would be appreciated by this reader. there was a musical group a few decades ago, question mark and the mysterians. enjoyed the written report as well as the photos, thanks. wow, that last shot’s a beaut. wish you’d had your tripod but I know it might be difficult carrying it through the forest…crisper vulture head would be appreciated by this reader. there was a musical group a few decades ago, question mark and the mysterians. enjoyed the written report as well as the photos, thanks.

]]> By: marja-leena http://www.vianegativa.us/2006/08/enigmatic/#comment-1739 marja-leena Tue, 22 Aug 2006 17:32:44 +0000 http://www.vianegativa.us/2006/08/21/enigmatic/#comment-1739 Wonderful post, Dave. Interesting how you look at everyday little things as being enigmatic, and look at the usually viled vulture with appreciation for its beauty, and to see the opposite side of the sunset. Like an artist. Wonderful post, Dave. Interesting how you look at everyday little things as being enigmatic, and look at the usually viled vulture with appreciation for its beauty, and to see the opposite side of the sunset. Like an artist.

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