Article for 2013 Apr 03

2013

2013 Apr

Apr 03 Wed

This cat sanctuary sure puts the “serval” into “conservation”. Ostensibly its purpose is to educate people, so they’re less likely to falsely decide felines have health benefits and thus put the caracal into the “snap, caracal, and pop” of their breakfast cereal. (That would be barking mad.) Of course, its real purpose is to satisfy people’s thirst for cute. It’s quite difficult to get internet access around here; hard luck if you’re looking for pictures on Snapcat.

Big cats are cute. But look at that sea-gull! Smile at that sea-gull! Admire that sea-gull! It is a bird of beauty, truly. What mammal could ever be compared?

I suppose the non-human primates in nearby Monkeyland could be compared to the sea-gull, in that my sisters appreciated the capuchins and I appreciated that sea-gull.
I reckon that my sisters like monkeys because they’re like monkeys, and can therefore more easily empathise. I reckon that I liked the lemurs because I like black-and-white animals (c.f. sea-gulls, and magpies and oystercatchers). No joke: I do. I once attended a fancy-dress party as a zebra; I suppose I shouldn’t really have been surprised to get called an ass.

Other things I like for being black-and-light include penguins, newspapers (greyish background, black text), and indeed Duncan’s Childhood Blog (black background, greyish text). (At least, that’s how the blog used to be) I also like squares and board-games. But not chess.

For chess is too black-and-white (and I keep confusing the king for the rook, in a mental version of castling). I need some colour - a splash of blue, a bit of yellow maybe - to really enjoy watching something. The contrast between black and white is nice, but only when used with less contrasting elements.

So it was rather nice that we had an afternoon boat trip upon the Knysna lagoon (pronounced “nize-na”). The sun was yellow; the sand was yellow; the sky was blue; the sea was too. The view over the Heads (pictured) is superb.

What made today even more special? The oystercatchers. The black is beautiful, and more so on a bright blue, green, and brown background.

I experienced this background partly by making it my foreground: on a walk around a reserve. That was beautiful too. Am I overdoing this article by exulting and exalting in so much beautiful? I don’t think so. Jo’burg is nice; Addo is nice; Storm’s River is nice; Knysna is Knysna.