Lessons from a Cormorant

If you take a summer stroll along the swaths of Agate Beach, Oregon, you’ll most likely get a glimpse of the diversity of bird life. You might see white gulls effortlessly split the wind in search of prey, Rock Sandpipers dart in and out of frothy swash, and the occasional dark slender neck of a Cormorant before it dives below the waves.

Photo by Kevin Grieve on Unsplash.

The species of Cormorant that call Oregon home can dive to depths of more than 200 ft in search of fish and small shellfish1. Once they surface, they’ll soar to a nearby tree branch at a selectively windy prominence and spread their wings to dry off. The Cormorant species have relatively less preen oil than most birds, which means their feathers soak in, rather than repel water2. The thought is that the insufficiency of preen oil allows the cormorant to maintain agility underwater while shedding buoyancy, allowing it to spend more time sub-surface in search of prey. What might be thought of as a hindrance to the Cormorant, enables it to be a much more efficient hunter.

There are at least two lessons to be learned from this particular bird. One, we all need rest. In a culture infatuated with the idea that “go go go” will lead to a satisfying and meaningful life, rest continually gets pushed off. Over the long term, you begin to realize you can’t truly live without a little downtime. Two, what might seem a weakness on the outside, can be a strength on the inside. If you are vulnerable with others you trust, for one example (among many), showing your scars, fears, and doubts, this can exemplify the inner strength of being comfortable enough around others and yourself to share who you really are.

What are lessons you can learn from the surrounding nature that you may have taken for granted in the past?

  1. https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Brandts_Cormorant/overview
  2. https://www.kqed.org/perspectives/201103250735/cormorants

Hope

Life is a saga. A novel filled with fun anecdotes and intriguing lessons. Tucked within the pages of everyone’s personal story lie glimpses into the human condition, tales of triumph, loss, grief, success, and hints of what motivates, inspires, and gives hope to each individual.

I’ve heard harrowing stories from many of the difficulties they encounter, and am continually amazed at the resilience and tenacity each person shows. Seeing one friend, for example, push through a concussion and a breakup in the same weeks, and maintain the will to still pursue meaningful relationships and an illustrious career gives me hope that when trials come in my own life, I can encounter them with joy and a resilience myself!

What has given you hope recently?

A tribute

My grandfather was a great man.

He performed in “The Music Man”, “Madame Butterfly”, and “Fiddler on the Roof” and sang in over 10,000 funerals and weddings in his time (no joke), all on top of a full-time position as a pharmacist and a focus on quality time with his family.

He was one of the most generous people I’ve ever met and remained unabashedly positive regardless of the circumstances.

I’ve learned a lot from him, and hope to carry his legacy forward by deepening my faith, continuing to connect with others, and genuinely contributing my time and energy to lifting up humanity, just as he did. I love him to the moon and will miss him immensely.

A milestone

I write this in seat 21C of Alaska flight 234-1 from Eugene to San Diego.

You know that nervousness you feel right before you step off the high-dive into the your community pool? Yeah. That’s me right now. Except my high dive is in the form of a teeny tiny round silver diamond encrusted object that I’m about to give to the love of my life. And rather than leaping into the cold shimmering waters tinged with chlorine, I’m bending down and planting one knee in the San Diego sand…

Yep, I’m (hopefully) getting engaged today. And I couldn’t be happier. What can I say? She’s got me, hook, line, and sinker. If not her, then who?

I’ll save you the sappiness, but these milestones are such important parts of our lives. Such a small moment, but such a big leap.

Well, here’ goes. Into the deep end. Wish me luck!

(Post update, she said yes. Thank goodness or I would have just swam west).

Deadlines

We all have to deal with deadlines, but that shared anxiety doesn’t make it much easier to deal with as they approach.

In the wee hours of yesterday morning, I popped into a coffee shop called Imagine Coffee. Imagine that!
After buying my typical iced Americano, several hours were spent pouring over textbooks and online lectures in a rather uncomfortable wooden chair. But why subject myself to this caffeinated restlessness? Because Oregon State University’s College of Engineering puts forth the gauntlet of qualifying exams for all Ph.D. students after their first year. They want to see if you truly “think” like an academic and test both your written and oral mental fortitude. Mine are in less than a month, and I’m sure many students have echoed this sentiment over the years, but full conceptual understanding feels as distant as an oasis in the middle of the Sahara right now.

Seeing that day inching its way inevitably closer gives me the slightest understanding of what it must have been like for the Spartans of Thermopylae, standing resolute as the Persian exam comes in on foot, chariot, and other more intense machines of war.
I’m being facetious, but it doesn’t mean I don’t wish down to my thickest bones for this test to be over. I do have hope that one day that giant will lie on the barren earth, defeated. As the reader, if you also have looming deadlines, what is your best method of attack in keeping your cool?

At this point, all I can say is take heart. This too shall pass.

Pastimes

I used to downhill longboard all the time. Every once and a while I’ll still dust off the ol’ deck, slip on my slide gloves and find a fun little hill nearby. Here’s some footage from an afternoon bomb today. Enjoy!

Let ‘er rip

Ok, I have to nerd out here.

As a coastal engineer, part of our research this December will involve putting out disposable drifters that capture surface currents over a submerged reef off Newport, Oregon (think little floats that ping their location up to SpaceX or something, where we’ll see the data in real-time). The goal is to understand how rip currents behave in the presence of a storm, and whether we can potentially model the behavior of these rips.

The Oregon coast in springtime

Scientists have tried to pin down exactly how rip currents behave for decades. It’s also been the bane of many a lifeguard’s existence since beach safety was first introduced. A 1941 article by Shephard et al. in the Journal of Geology stated that lifeguards referred to these things as “rip tides” or “sea pusses” (I don’t recommend you use the latter term). Since this time, our understanding of rips has increased substantially. A few facts for you:

  1. Rather early research describes rips are caused by an excess of water build up on the shore from waves, resulting in currents that move along the shore close to the beach. At varying times and locations, these currents meet and turn seaward to form outgoing rip currents (Mckenzee, 1958).
  2. More recent studies found that where rips form is directly linked to the variability of where waves break along the shoreline. This variability causes excess momentum in some areas and lessened momentum in others. Of course, energy will move from high to low. Thus, rips tend to form in certain areas and change in intensity and location, factors which scientists are hoping to predict more accurately in the future (Castelle et al., 2016).
  3. If you find yourself caught in a rip, follow the advice of several survivors, who say firstly, not to panic. Try not to fight the rip, but allow it to carry you as you try and swim parallel to the shoreline to escape the strongest current (Drozdzewski et al., 2012).

The coast is a fascinating place. It holds mysteries yet to be unlocked by the curious, excitement to the recreationist, and a sense of wonder to all who visit. The ocean is also a powerful force to be reckoned with, and knowing what it can do may just keep you from giving in to its watery g”rip”.

(For an example of the power of the ocean, see a previous post, “The Unmoving Coaster” from 2020).

  • Castelle, B., Scott, T., Brander, R. W., & McCarroll, R. J. (2016). Rip current types, circulation and hazard. Earth-Science Reviews, 163, 1-21.
  • Drozdzewski, D., Shaw, W., Dominey-Howes, D., Brander, R., Walton, T., Gero, A., … & Edwick, B. (2012). Surveying rip current survivors: preliminary insights into the experiences of being caught in rip currents. Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences, 12(4), 1201-1211.
  • McKenzie, P. (1958). Rip-current systems. The Journal of Geology, 66(2), 103-113.
  • Shepard, F. P., Emery, K. O., & La Fond, E. C. (1941). Rip currents: a process of geological importance. The Journal of Geology, 49(4), 337-369.

Review – A Gentleman in Moscow

They say the pen is mightier than the sword, yet Amor Towles has managed to master both. After each (rather small) progression through “A Gentleman in Moscow”, I am shocked at his ability to both capture my imagination and cut me to my core. 

This eloquent writing is not overly dense, as one would expect from the enigmatic pages of “Infinite Jest”, or more verbose works of C.S. Lewis, and tackling a chapter or two does not render the reader with a furrowed brow and finger buried in their mess of hair (or lack thereof). He can somehow string together phrases with more ease than a yellow-coated lobsterman can serve you the meat of that beloved red crustacean. 

So, without further ado, it is my delight to recommend you pick up any of the works of Amor Towles. I think you’ll find yourself grinning, let alone smiling, after each read.

On Love

I’ve recently begun the perilous, rewarding, nerve-wracking, riveting journey of seriously dating someone. She’s wonderful.

We’re compatible in so many ways.

We’re different in so many ways.

Sometimes I marvel at her ability to say exactly what I’m thinking, and yet, sometimes my thoughts resemble apples and hers oranges. Like stepping out of your car to an ocean when you thought you were going to be greeted with a vast mountainous expanse. But here’s the thing. There are places where the mountain meets the ocean and spectacular beauty lies there.

Every day is a journey in these uncharted waters, and I can’t wait to see what’s around the next bend.

Stay tuned.

Why we need the outdoors

You can feel the crunch of rock and dirt beneath your feet. The subtle whoosh of wind through trees as the sun bounces between nebulous clouds. You close your eyes and listen.

There’s something about the outdoors that seems to bring peace. And simply being out there is so good for you. Bratman et al., (2015) found that an experience outdoors in a natural environment compared to an urban environment had a greater impact on decreasing anxiety and increasing verbal cognitive memory. Another study indicates that time spent outside increases a child’s attention span and decreases stress, which, in lieu of COVID-19 and the shift to virtual learning, is very much needed (McCurdy et al., 2010). The spectrum of benefits is not restricted to the young alone, as research also shows that spending time in a garden slows cognitive decline and reduces falls in elderly patients with dementia (Whear et al., 2014).

So, I know you want to plop down on that comfy couch and throw on the Mandalorian, The Whitcher, The Last of Us, Stranger Things, Ted Lasso, Love is Blind, Arnol…. I could go on, but try going for a walk in the park instead. Your body and mind will give you a standing ovation in the long run.

(Can you guess where the photo was taken?)

  1. Bratman, G. N., Daily, G. C., Levy, B. J., & Gross, J. J. (2015). The benefits of nature experience: Improved affect and cognition. Landscape and Urban Planning, 138, 41-50.
  2. McCurdy, L. E., Winterbottom, K. E., Mehta, S. S., & Roberts, J. R. (2010). Using nature and outdoor activity to improve children’s health. Current problems in pediatric and adolescent health care, 40(5), 102-117.
  3. Whear, R., Coon, J. T., Bethel, A., Abbott, R., Stein, K., & Garside, R. (2014). What is the impact of using outdoor spaces such as gardens on the physical and mental well-being of those with dementia? A systematic review of quantitative and qualitative evidence. Journal of the American Medical Directors Association, 15(10), 697-705.