Author Archives: John

Laysan Albatross

Posted on December 7, 2012 | Leave a comment

Laysan Albatross (Phoebastria immutabilis)
Kilauea Point

We were lucky enough, while on Kauai, to see some albatross nesting. Fairly tame and docile birds, the females mate for life, some attaining 60 years. Subject to widespread hunting in the early 1900s for their feathers, the population of the Layson Albatross is rebounding. The juvenile albatross does not return to the colony for three years, spending that time at sea or in the air, and does not mate until six or seven years old.

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Posted in Photographs

More Sycamores, and Green

Posted on December 6, 2012 | Leave a comment

What a difference a week plus an inch and a half rain make, low temperatures in the mid-forties, high 70° yesterday—truly a miracle: rain, seed and green.

1st-calf heifers and Wagyu X calves

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Posted in Photographs

SFO

Posted on December 5, 2012 | 3 comments

Sunup at SFO

Among the cobbles of a novel
waiting for the plane sent-on
without us, last night, vouchers

dangling at the end of a chain
reaction of late take-offs—midnight
dinner delivered to a Comfort Inn

for roaches, instead of falling
dead into our own beds
after the quarter-mile jog

to a shuttle and another terminal—
bushy-tailed guard at the gate,
arms folded like a Samoan

before our parked aircraft.
A novel about efficiency
and how we got here—

how we’ve become helpless
as cattle in a corral to make
work-enough for everyone.

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Posted in Photographs, Poems 2012

Tagged Airserv, SFO, TSA, United Airlines

Jessica & Jaro

Posted on December 5, 2012 | 2 comments

Jessica & Jaro

Robbin & I have been in Kauai, a tropical paradise, this past week for my daughter Jessica’s wedding. I’ll attempt to post some more photos in the coming days. While we were gone, our country was blessed with an 1.5″ of rain. We were welcomed home to puddles and hillsides greening. A great start to another season.