One of my early mentors for colour printing, mostly dye-sublimation and ink-jet (giclee for the arty folk) is a great craftsmen and writer, Ctein.
Today he wrote a newsletter that struck a real chord.
Unfortunately I can’t add a link for you to see, as it’s a by subscription only, but here is a couple of quotes and a comment. Drop me an email and I’ll send it on to you. He is much more vocal and lucid than I. birdsaspoetry at icloud dot com.
He likens the current Covid-19 pandemic to a circling raptor and the birds that try to get rid of it from their area to the frenetic attempts to contain the virus.
“For birds, it is not good fences but great distances that make good neighbors. This distance is not great enough…
Sometimes the ravens whirl and loop. There is considerable vocalization. In action and words they say to the hawk, “Look, we are superior in every respect, physically and mentally. You are overshadowed. Take a hike.”
DJ: Locally the Ravens and Magpies go to no end of effort to move on a passing Kite, Eagle or Harrier. I’ve seen ravens fly for 20 minutes or more after a Wedge-tailed Eagle, until it reaches a point high up in the sky, where the raven must flap harder to keep up, and the eagle can just drip its huge sails into the breeze and slips away. Exhausted the raven plummets back to earth.
Ctein, “Finally, the ravens give up — they get frustrated and, worse, bored. They go off to find some more entertaining mischief, and the hawk continues doing what it’s been doing all along.”
The hawk wins every time because it isn’t even playing the game!
Ctein, “I feel like the ravens do. I am tired and I’m bored and I’m frustrated and depressed and, most of all, exhausted by four months of navigating through this Brave New World, of living in Plague Times. God knows I’ve done my part, more than my part. I need a break.”
DJ: Unfortunately, the virus is like a hawk. It doesn’t care what we individually or collectively think or our frustration and our need of a break.
Ctein, “We don’t have the luxury of letting down our guards and relaxing our extraordinarily inconvenient and uncomfortable protections because we are exhausted (and, make no mistake, we ARE exhausted). The hawk just hovers in the updraft, thinking its minimal, hawkish thoughts and waiting for hawkish opportunity.
Stay Safe. Never Underestimate the Power of Stupid People in Large Groups. Stay Aware.
The Hawk is circling.
The Doona Hermit
Remain
For those interested Ctein is here
Cteinnewsletter mailing list
Cteinnewsletter@lists.sonic.net
https://lists.sonic.net/mailman/listinfo/cteinnewsletter
All in-quotes italics material is copyright and expressly owned by Ctein.
Used as quote only. See Website for further details.
Birds as Poetry —— Just because I WANDER - --doesn't mean I'm LOST 
Pertinent thoughts and analogy. Indeed the raptor just keeps on, as you have often said ‘it is the cost of doing business’. And the ravens/maggies just keep harrying.
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G’day David, Yeah, was going to add that in. It has always seemed to me that the raptors take next to no notice of the inconvenience. The Little Eagle over Sneydes is a classic example. Always there. Always harassed. But. Just keeps coming back.
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Great images of course and interesting thoughts about the virus just going about its business while we try vainly to stop it.
(I did enjoy the story about the dimwits who sent out for KFC for their party and were presumably dobbed in to the cops. It serves them right.) Keep safe and well.
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Me too.
As my friends window sign says
Welcome to Melbourne the home of the stupidous people in Australia!
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Great images illustrating the thoughtful quotes and your own comments. Now I’m off to check out the links you’ve provided. I’m intrigued…
The physical, but also some mental, distance definitely does us good.
Stay healthy, stay safe.
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Thanks for your comments. I can send you the Ctein newsletter relevant parts.
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Interesting analogy David with amazing images, which are common occurrences, I see especially oer wetlands, where Lapwings and even Stilts pursue Eagles and Kites. I do hope Victoria gets sorted soon with the 2nd wave, it must be difficult for you guys. We just hope and pray it does not impact again on us, though we have had some alarming discoveries not far from here the last few days, of which the implications are still to be realised.
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Hi Ashley, thanks for the thoughts. Ctein’s note arrived just as I was contemplating my Saturday night post and I was going to wait till then, but the urgency seemed to overwhelm me and I hit the post button.
How the gov and the officials are going to stabilise it is completely beyond me. 16 people having a kfc binge early in the morning, beggars belief.
I’ve decided to be a committee of one, and do the best I can to avoid crowds. Pretty easy if I can get into the field. Hope that your local outbreaks can be swiftly handled. It concerns me the today’s numbers reflect activities of two week back. Nothing that can be done about that.
Enjoy your bush time
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