WHAT I SEE

When I’m in my office picking up  where I left off from the night before,

 I see trees –  mostly oak and maple. I live on a hill viewing them from

partway up their trunks.

        After working in Montreal, I spent a year in France. In the

Dordogne. I wanted to be around those who spoke French and

return a bilingual Canadian.

This wasn’t my sole reason for going. I hoped to write a book.

A novel.

        It turned out I had a better chance of writing one than becoming

fluent in French.

Writer’s comment: I returned when the year was over to live on

the hill surrounded by the same trees. I look out seeing the same

view I saw when camping here overnight as a kid.

LISTENING TO WHALES

Whales talk in their own language. Really. This came

from Nature Communications. Their study shows how

sperm whales talk to each other in their own way.

          Mind, they have the largest brains of any animal. Not only

that, they can dive down 6,000 feet to find their next meal.

Their favorite meal are giant squid among other delightful

mouthfuls.

They make deep dives together, far below what humans

can reach. Some have, but not often.

          It seems the whales  make clicking sound by squeezing

air through their respiratory system. They also

use a ‘zipper-like ‘noise to talk to each other. They also use

 this to find prey.

Writer’s comment: It seems sperm whales have families

and seem to have a sense of identities. They even make group

decisions as a family. A Canadian biologist, Shane Gero, helping

 to decode a whale’s  phonetic alphabet.