 |
| Wee eruption on the back deck. |
 |
| Flutterbys |
Many of the crabs I see in the sand at my local beach are not intact and most certainly dead. The crab (dungeness) I saw yesterday just at the strand-line was solid-looking, had all of its legs and both claws, but sat completely motionless. Bending down to inspect, I could see one of its eyes moving & those whiskery bits at his mouth quivering. He was definitely alive. I wanted to put him back in the water, but wasn't sure how to go about it without being pinched. I happened to have my brother on the phone as I was inspecting the crab. My brother, an occasional crabber and devout fisherman, told me how best to pick up the crab without risking injury. Apparently, if one brings one's hand over the top of the shell and puts thumb and forefinger on either side of the shell--just where pointy bits jut out--, then the crab is less able to reach your fingers with its claws. I did just that and gave the crab a wee tug. He didn't easily budge as he was partially submerged in sand. I gave a stronger tug and up came his legs and body. Then I walked him into the water and chucked him out beyond the surf. So long, crab!
Very brave of you to save that crab's life!
ReplyDeleteI like the volcano and butterfly too. If I read your blog long enough, I will become fluent in German at long last, the language of my forebears. One question though -- what does the "/e" at the end of each word signify? The feminine form, the plural form, or something else? And I don't even know if German is a gendered language, like French is.
Aha! I suppose it would help if I shared why I'm putting bits after the '/' on the label. Yes, those bits are the plural endings of each noun. German, unlike French and English, does not traditionally use 's' to signify the plural form. So, 'Zahn' is 'tooth' and 'Zähne' is 'teeth'. One can see our Germanic roots in words like 'children','oxen', 'teeth', 'feet', etc. Borrowed words from English like 'sofa' would retain its plural 's' in German. So it would be: das Sofa (1); die Sofas (more than 1). German still has three genders. -makes for an interesting time when needing to determine the correct declension! You are on your way to fluency, Debra! Your forebears would be proud. :)
DeleteAlso: der Vulkan (1); die Vulkane (more than 1). 'Die', rhymes with the letter 'd', is the plural definite article in the nominative case.
DeleteThank you! Mystery solved! And something new learned.
DeleteBut it leads me to another question. Using what I've just learned, it means that Wagner's opera "Die Walkure" is plural and means "The Valkryies." Is that right? But in English it is always translated in the singular as "The Valkyrie" as if referring only to Brunnhilde and not the whole rest of the gang. That's a real difference in emphasis. Hmmm.
I deleted my original reply to you as it was rubbish. :D
Delete'Die' is both the feminine nominative (and accusative) definite article AND it is also the plural nom. and acc. definite article. Not knowing Wager's opera from my elbow, I looked up the piece just now and saw that it is, indeed, both singular in the German and the English. Die Walküre=the Valkyrie//die Walküren=the Valkyries.
I see German is as twisty as English then. Thanks for clearing up my Walkure issue! My maternal grandparents, who featured in my post today about the Queen's Hotel beverage room chair, were German-speaking Swiss. They emigrated to Canada in 1924. My grandmother had an especially thick German accent. I never understood a word the woman said until I was an adolescent, LOL!
DeleteThanks for answering my German questions. I appreciate your time and effort to do so!
Oh, cool! -amazing to think of all those who left the Old Country for No. America at that time. Your maternal grandparents must have been adventurous, hearty folk. And how funny to think of you as a girl wondering what in the heck your 'Omi' was saying!
DeleteGern geschehen! I really love the language and it makes me happy to share bits of it, if I am able.
My own forebears would cringe at my ignorance.
ReplyDeleteThank you saving the crab - and for sharing the beach wonders and joys. Also for continuing my education.
You're welcome. It's giving me pleasure to create the images. I'm also glad you like them!
DeleteYou did it!! Way to go. Hayden and I saved an orphaned baby sparrow this week as well. It always feels good to help out the animals. Take care.
ReplyDeleteYay me. It does feel good save for that part of me wanting to take the crab home and put it in a pot.
DeleteI hope you walked him sideways to the water.
ReplyDeleteYes, yes. We did the sideways shuffle into the surf. :D
DeleteEarlier on, our John aid kindness is a thought, but nice is an action. And so you kindly thought the crab was out of its element, and nicely returned it. Not to worry; it means nothing.
ReplyDeleteWell, I guess I did! I thought too, perhaps, that dogs or humans or gulls might eff with it, so into the water it went. :)
DeleteI think I would have looked for something to pick it up with rather than risking fingers. You are way braver than me.
ReplyDeleteI felt OK; it was good to have my bro on the phone while I did it. :)
Delete