As we know, There are known knowns. There are things we know we know. We also know There are known unknowns. That is to say We know there are some things We do not know. But there are also unknown unknowns, The ones we don't know We don't know. ~D. Rumsfeld

Saturday, June 28, 2008

So tired :P

What an effort LOL. All that strenuous action going on this morning at the Nemaal Tel-Aviv, I'm exhausted, hahaha - When I arrived there around 07:30 I found thousands of people there. It turned out a Triathlon was being held there and many (I mean really m-a-n-y) were participating. It was a happy and cheerful atmosphere and people were encouraging the participants by cheering them on. I still managed to get to the waterfront (most parts were fenced off to keep the way free for the participants) and talk with "my" fishermen. They caught some Arasiem, a Miramera and a "Rock-fish" (dag ha-Sela), but nothing spectacular again. One fisherman said the big fish won't show up because at the pond behind the wave-breaker they are adding sand so the depth of the sea nearby the wavebreaker is becoming more and more shallow, thus keeping the fish further away from the shore. It's becoming too busy now at the beach on Saturdays. I like that a lot less. Perhaps I should start out earlier in the mornings on Saturdays...


Of course I couldn't show any self discipline and photographed some flowers on the way to the beach as well. The Bougainvillea's colors are so vivid and intense and make a quite an impression on me so I just have to have that 'eternalized' on photo. Then, there was a stem of a tree/plant having the 3 phases of life all in one on it: the bud, the blooming flower and the flower that had wilted. Like a symbolic kind of thing. At least, that's how I felt it.

Also, while absorbing the lone birds flying around and the pityful situation the Yarkon finds itself in at that particular part of its stretch, on the bridge over the Yarkon connecting Tel-Aviv with Ramat-Gan I saw "Shalit Now" (I suppose inspired by the "Shalom Now" slogan) written on the pavement. (I assume they demand Gilad Shalit's release)

1. Small clip of the finish line at the Triathlon.
2. Photo of a different part along the way of the Triathlon.
3. Three photos - one of a Akas, one of a Miramer, one of the Dag-HaSela.
4. Photo of a Bougainvillea along the way to the beach.
5. Shalit Now - graffiti



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Thursday, June 26, 2008

Endless

From a totally opposite situation I walk into endlessness. . . That is the feeling I get each and every time I approach the sea. Perhaps the first photo can express an associating sentiment that I feel. While sitting totally secluded at the top of the stairs running down to the pier on that same photo this morning (I almost couldn't believe it: there was nobody in sight for a good 20 minutes, just me -a few crabs, a pigeon, an orev, a sparrow- and the sea) I started thinking. I listen to the sea and he is always telling me the same stories, for years already. Perhaps that's why I feel like he's a close family-member - he doesn't change, he's always reliable - always there like one big, h-u-g-e shoulder for support. He doesn't complain when I come back to see him after not having been around for a while and just continues telling his stories to me.


Even without a cent to my name I felt that this is worth so much more than money. Suppose I would be a millionaire and would live in some cold, grey country deep inland? Of course the money could buy me fancy -perhaps tropical- holidays, but I would always have to return to that place while right now I pick up my legs and walk right into endless happiness that's absorbing every fiber of 'me' .... Now isn't that "rich"?

The photos:
1. "Endlessness.... as I feel it when looking out over the sea.
2. The cat (although it's a 'she' I think) who came straight at me when I walked up to the wave-breaker as if she recognized me (perhaps she did) from last week and welcomed me by rubbing up on my legs and even jumping in front of my face on the wooden fence separating the wave-breaker from the sea. (She eventually -as if she suddenly remembered- did look to the other side of her, the seaside and cringed - a little hahaha)
3. Yup!! They have arrived. I saw at least 5 of them flushed upon the beach. The Jellyfish that is. This one has his intestines so clearly shown that I just had to make a photo of it. I never saw the 'inside' of a jellyfish shining through the slimy, white substance I thought was the only thing they were made of. Here it looks as if he got "muscles" LOL.
4. A place where people fish during the day and at nights sometimes there are weddings. That stage up there is where they set up the "Chupa" (covered 'tent' where Jewish weddings have to take place under). Such a lovely place to get married... (Oh, and I DO have self restraint: the female Egret was sitting at 2 meters away from me there on the railing and I didn't take (yet another, hahaha) photo of her)
5. A small clip of a crab in action...


26-6-2008-fotoR-endlessness

26-6-2008-fotoQ-meandkitty

26-6-2008-fotoK-jellyfish2

26-6-2008-fotoL-chupafishing

Saturday, June 21, 2008

Left the house at 05:00 a.m. and the only 'traffic' was in 'opposite direction'. Meaning people were on their way home after Friday night's clubbing or what have you while I was heading 'out'. Interesting to be on the 'other side' - I like it.


The moon was still shining although it was already dusky and I found a lone (but very bright) star not far from the moon (seeing from here, that is. probably they're millions of kilometers apart from each other in space).

I heard the birds this early in the morning much louder than usual performing their morning concerts. It was fantastic!

Two Egrets and the fireflies were waiting for me near the Yarkon bridge and further down the way I saw a very young, black & white colored, cat hunt after a tiny little bird with a pointed beak that seemed to ridicule the cat with giving it a good tease.... the poor, but playful, cat was utterly frustrated :D

At the beach I met the fishermen again, same spot.... Only they were very dissatisfied. Not only was the water of the sea almost transparent but also two fishingboats had their nets spread out earlier that morning and sort of caught all the fish. At least that is what they said was the reason they didn't catch anything today. Still one of them caught a "Saragossa" (I'm becoming a professional on fish if this goes on this way) and I photographed it but because the animal was moving on the line so ferociously the photo didn't succeed. Pity. However, this time I did get a good photo of an Arash (the poison in its snappers having fish) - they caught later on.

I then went further north to check up on the hide away a Mynah has stacked her nest in. It is very hard to see the hatchlings - let alone photograph them. But if looking hard the youngster's face can be made out in the photo underneath. Because the camera makes a sound when I press the shutter button and because I was standing not too far from the nest and did not move (like all other people jogging there) I think the mother Mynah got stressed because she came at me. She jumped out of the nest and flew icily fast a few centimeters over my head (you can see her legs as she is heading for my head on the photo down here). So, I left. I don't want her to feel stressed or threatened of course ....

The last photos are made in the shallow water of the pond behind the wave breaker in the nemaal. There is a iron pipeline on the bottom there that's covered with seaweed and I saw this weed detach itself from the pipe with every retreating wave and clamp back on it with every incoming wave. That's strange. So -after thorough investigation hahaha- I discovered they were fish. They just turn green when being on the pipe.


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21-6-2008-mynahandbaby-1

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Friday, June 20, 2008

Prophecy

I didn't leave early this morning. It was close to 7 already. But I wanted to be sure all bastot at the Shouk HaCarmel would be open, and if I'm too early they are not.

As I was walking I started getting conscious of a song that I was singing over and over in my head. It's an old Dutch song, from the generation of my parents still and called "Een Ballonnetje". It tells about a balloon on a string dancing in the wind. I never heard it anymore since I was a child. I wondered how it got in my head. . . . .


The Shouk didn't have what I needed (although it had a lot of what I would liked to have bought) but I thoroughly enjoy walking through it. It's one of the most colorful places I know. In every meaning of that word (colorful).

When I got to the beach I was met by a girl distributing flyers about a "Masshaat" - sort of organized sailing demonstration - in honor of the remembrance of the sinking of the Altalena - of which yesterday the ceremony was held for the monument. It was to take place at 10. Fine. I waited at the rocks out on the sea-breaker. There was a sweet looking pigeon that caught my attention that came to sit close to me but later flew off when a child came running in it's direction. The Masshaat was not much and I left soon after 10.

There I saw the pigeon again and decided to take photo of him - when I discovered why he looked so 'rueful'. He had a thread caught up between both of his legs. As much as I wanted to help him get rid of it.... it wouldn't work. Each time I got closer than 1 meter from him he flew away... Poor pigeon :(

As I was standing waiting for the moniot sherut to go home I looked up and there high in the sky was .................... A BALLOON ON A STRING DANCING IN THE WIND!!!!





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20-6-2008-pigeonthreadonleg1

Thursday, June 19, 2008

And this is the Evening....

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Again the Egret. But now wading through the subsiding -due to the tide- sea... hunting for fish and crabs. The lightening suits my mood. Tomorrow will be a new day. Perhaps more "rosy". Some crabs were out sunbathing as well.... but hurried back to let the sea give them shelter when they sensed the Egret:




As I was returning from the Nemaal I had trouble passing a 'ceremony' near "tshitsh" beach. It turned out that the new Altalena memorial was being 'uncovered'. Old men talking about their past on that ship were telling their story. It was very interesting. Ron Holdayi (T-A mayor) was there as well.

19-6-2008-altalena1

This is how I feel this morning....

gushingover

:-(

Sunday, June 15, 2008

Amazing morning

Left the house at 05:30. Beautiful weather, nice and crispy.
First thing on the ramp at the Nemaal I met was a cat (photo #1) - there was nobody else there except her and me. She came to welcome me - I felt bad I had nothing with me to give her to eat... Soon after another cat came along who took a special liking to my backpack as can be seen in (photo #2) - and after that in my legs (who were bare because I wore knee-length jeans). So much so that she put her nails in it, and me not particularly wanting to go have another tetanus shot (had too many already in the past) bid the couple farewell and went to sit on the mezach until an Orev showed up walking into my direction - Yes. I let an Orev chase me away *blush*.

When I got up further north in the Nemaal (I hardly ever go up north) - I saw "the" Snow Egret and got excited (it are the small things in life that do that to me) - So I took out my camera. I see "the" Snow Egret on each and every walk I make near the beach flying by and thought of it as a sign of saying 'hello' to me. Well...

The two fishermen who had their rods situated near the building the Egret was landing on told me there are 5 (!) of them and they all fight with each other. This morning there were only two, a male and a female. The male kept chasing the female away. The first photos are of the male - but finally the female got a chance and was able to accept a fish the fisherman I talked to offered her as well. Photos herebelow.

I then decided to walk up north even more and get some photos of airplanes landing and taking off at the Sde Dov airport which is situated practically 'at' the beach and within reach of Reading (power station). Ahum...... I walked and walked and walked..... and when I finally got there the guard at the airport told me that they land and take off near the beach (this was after a sivoev) - So, I walked some more. "Some" is the keyword here.... When I finally got to a place I thought I had to turn left -it looked Godforsaken with only new buildings being built there and I suddenly heard a voice behind me "Ma'am show me your ID".... WHAAAAAT??

An undercover policeman looked at my ID and said "It isn't you" - Boy.... what a relief. No idea what it was all about but sure was happy it wasn't me, LOL. He then proceeded in casual talk and couldn't get over the fact that I walked "all the way" from Ramat-Gan. He asked his friend over the walkie talkie if he had time to give me a lift to the beach (Tel-Baruch) and when the friend said he was busy and I said that it really doesn't matter he said that he hoped to see me at the beach one time..... Excuse me????

When I arrived at Tel-Baruch there actually wasn't much going on. I walked pass a fence - all the while through the water - and saw another Egret - but that was it. Not much airplanes taking off of landing at all. There is constant security there driving around the facility and I asked one man in such a car if I could proceed up to Reading (now from the other side) and end up in Tel-Aviv beach.

This man was very talkative and friendly and started -after asking what I was photographing all the time- explaining me about that part of the beach stretched out at that particular place. About the wildlife -more exactly about the sealife- and what I could photograph if................. I would sit there for hours and have patience.

After 20 minutes or so we parted and I walked back to the kiosk at the beginning of the beach and asked how to get back to Ramat-Gan. The guy said it is impossible to walk to Ramat-Gan. Obviously I told him I just did.... and his reaction was "WHAT???"

I feel good now. Having had at least 2 young men end up in total surprise about my walking capabilities Hahahahahaa


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15-6-2008-l-egretkingofthesearoad

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15-6-2008-u-egretfemaleeatingherfish

Saturday, June 14, 2008

Fireflies & swimming dogs

The weather is absolutely gorgeous. This is -I find- the ideal weather that should be all year around. Left at 5:45 and over the Yarkon a small cloud of fireflies performed a dance for me (or at least so is the script in my imagination). It was magnificent and I stood mesmerized admiring this burst of tiny bugs reflecting the golden rays of the sunlight on their wings. As usual the photos don't do the scene justice but it is pretty close.

I made some more flower shots (still thoroughly enjoying the vast diversity of colors the flowers are putting on show for whoever wish to pay attention to it). Also because I can't stand it I don't understand the 'macro' function on my camera and sometimes it turns out OK and sometimes a strange result is obtained. But I think now I know that the shutter speed should be really low or the aperture -I can't remember- so the object wanting to be the 'star' of the shoot comes out sharp.

The sea was wonderful as always. I talked with a few fishermen on the ramp (wave breaker) and they actually caught some fish while I was standing near them. So there are some photos of that as well. They told me that they (fishermen) don't call fish by their popular names but have their own names for them. And so, the fish in the first photo of the 3 is called "Arash" which means something poisonous. It seems they have some kind of poison in their snappers and that's why they are called that way by the fishermen. The other two are Buri - although I never saw a Buri that small, must be babies... Another fisherman caught a small fish he released later and called it a "QuakQuak" - I laughed of course but he said 'give me your ear' - so I held my ear close to the fish and I really heard him "say" QuakQuak, LOL. The fish mustn't have been too impressed by me because straight after he said QuakQuak - he spat water at the side of my face, hahahahaaa.....

I wished them 'tight lines' and went on to "Dogbeach" - I call it that way - I have no idea what the real name is of that beach. All dogs are allowed there and it is good fun to watch them. You NEVER see them fight. Which is pretty remarkable because in the streets many are growling at each other. Although I think it is really lovely I wouldn't spread my towel at that beach... I am not a sterile person and I absolutely am crazy about dogs but that would disgust me a bit. However, if I would have a dog I would most certainly take him there. As a matter of fact, I would take him on all my walks. I wish I had a dog.....



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Friday, June 13, 2008

Shouk-day

They are known to be there early on Friday-mornings - those bastot holders. But I was there before them, LOL. Left at 5:45 this morning and it was lovely, not hot, not cold, breezy... perfect.

Tried the Macro function on the camera out and think the photo of the flower that I took on the way to the shouk succeeded pretty well. I also took photos of a few Mynahs but they didn't come out that well after uploading them. The other photo of the sparrows show just how well their camouflage colors work because they were real hard to get them standing out a little bit in the picture - there are 3 birds there....

The photo of Beit-haTamar at Nahalat Benyamin is not overlighted. That building was actually blinding my eyes - I think the color has something in it that reflects the sun rays.

Afterwards I walked towards the sea. There -at the Hasan Bek mosque (which also seems to be undergoing renovations, looking at the ramps built up around the moazin tower) - I saw a Mynah fly from the mosque garden INTO a hole at an iron traffic light post - my guess is they have hatching there, so waited... and waited... and waited LOL, but the Mynah didn't come out anymore, so left - crossing the road opposite the mosque where the Dolfinarium is situated. It has been 5 years since a suicide-bomber exploded himself and 20 teenagers there and I remember reading there was a ceremony held in honor for their memories last week - so I had a look and found this what is shown at the last photo and says "We Won't Stop Dancing". I kinda like that.


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Monday, June 9, 2008

Dunnit!

Set out at 05:40 and was disappointed I "met" no birds on my walk to the beach. Somehow I had hoped the bird with the vivid blue wings I saw a few days ago and mistook for a Palestinian Sunbird would show up - because of the early hour, but no. Nor did any other out of the ordinary bird. Halas.

It is funny how yesterday I was talking about a rose and today I saw one of the tallest, most spectacular, single growing roses in a garden I passed. The photo doesn't do the rose justice. It was showing its absolute noblesse.

I spotted some birds -of which I am sure they are very common but still I don't know their names- and had a good time fantasizing a possible plot to their behavior. This one bird coming closer to the other and ticking him with her beak and he was playing 'hard to get' -but seem to enjoy- except that at the same time he was 'talking' to a lot of other birds on that same electricity cable. Finally she got enough of it, turned her back on him and took off very demonstratively :D The other photo is of one of the same flock of birds that thought he could hide from me, but he doesn't know I am armored with a *mighty* zoom in my camera LOL.

The last photo is of the pier and some fishermen on it. I climbed on it. Its width is rather narrow -well over 1-and-a-half meter wide, but still- and slippery. Every time I was near it in the past I was reluctant to go on it. Although it attracted me to be standing off the wave-breaker and sort of in the middle of the sea. It's a balance thing.... So, this morning, I switched on the fearless button in my head that clears it of thinking and just 'did it'. Proof of it is the last photo which, on the right side of it, shows part of that little shack at the end of the pier in the previous photo.


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Saturday, June 7, 2008

Crab-outing

Departure: 06:00 -
Weather: gorgeous -
Environment: many, many birdsounds - not so many birds in sight -
Sea: pretty wild but quieting down later on -

I saw a Peewit Lapwing (I discovered that this is his name formerly) on the banks of the Yarkon river. The concrete banks to be precise. Unfortunately, because I am STILL stumbling with my camera's properties, I didn't catch him clearly in the photo, but his contours can still be made out. Then, a Snow Egret came flying over -a few times even- but for one reason or another I couldn't see him appear on my lcd screen so I started 'shooting' wildly around and caught him near an electricity cable flying faster than the speed of sound, LOL. Don't know why the colors are like they are because the sky was blue-ish and the bird white, but this is the only shot I have of him.
Later I saw an extremely 'good-looking' bird, shining blue wings and a huge yellow beak but he was too fast for me to be caught on camera. I thought it was a Palestine Sunbird but was wrong. It must have been some parrot of kinds.

Yesterday at Shuk Ha-Carmel "my" CD-girl told me she had a cockroach creep up her leg twice while sitting at a restaurant in Nemaal Tel-Aviv. They creep up from the wooden boardwalk it seems. So, I was very -and I mean VERY- cautious when I walked the nemaal this morning. I had some talks with the fishermen there and one told me that they DO catch fish while fishing from that raft (one said he had caught a 1-and-a-half kilo'er the day before) but usually at night. I always wondered about that because I never see any of them catching any fish at all EVER.

Then at the end of the raft one can climb up a wave-breaker-thing and there are fishermen as well. It is forbidden to do so but I think nobody cares because those fishermen always are there. One came down to scrape some snails off the rocks and while he did so I saw some "cockroaches" hurrying away. But with a second look I found they ran rather "funny" so concentrated on figuring out what this could be. They were little crabs. The photos herebelow are of the extended family being taken out by Mom for a good sunbath.


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Friday, June 6, 2008

Gone :-(

The kiosk I placed the photos of May 29 is gone. I saw this morning. Only rubble left. Sad :-(




kiosk1-6-6-2008

Thursday, June 5, 2008

Becoming addicted

to the beach. I thought I'd make a little round before doing my usual morning walk and ended up at the beach, again. . . Like a magnet it pulls me in its direction. Two photos out of the few I took on the way there - the first flower looked so dainty to me it was just asking to play photomodel (or so at least it seemed to me) and the other shows a pigeon flying through the water of the fountain, if you look good.



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