Xa ushiya umgaqo omkhulu, usiya kwindlela yelastiki eneendlela ezimbini ekhokelela kunxweme olusempuma lwe-Avalon, le ndlela idla ngokuba namabala, kangangokuba akuqiniseki ukuba le ndlela inemvelaphi nezikwere ezingaphezulu kunelastiki yokuqala.
Eli lilizwe eliyinkqantosi laseAvalon, elinomthi kuphela ophezu kwamagxa akho, ovalwe ngumoya, ozimele entlanjeni.
Amachibi kunye nezihlahla ezingenanto zakhiwe njengeengubo ezinkulu, zifikelela kumphezulu womhlaba kumacala omabini, zinelanga kwaye zishushu, umhlaba womile, kwaye ivumba lezihlahla kunye neebhogi zepeat liyaphuphuma.
Ndipake imoto yam kwindawo encinci yodaka negrabile, apho ndabona khona ichibi elikhulu elinokunyuka ngequbuliso kwelitye elisecaleni kwelinye icala. Le ndawo idla ngokuba namanzi anzulu kunye neqela leentlanzi ze-trout. Imalunga nekhilomitha enye ukusuka endleleni, kodwa umgama apha uyathandeka: akukho nto emehlweni akho onokuyiqonda kwaye uyibeke isikali esicacileyo, kuphela amaza athambileyo emhlabeni kunye nolwelo olwenziwe zizityalo ezivuthuzwa ngumoya.
Emva koko, ndahamba ngendlela yebhayisekile ye-swamp phakathi kwezityalo ze-swamp eziphantse zibe buthathaka. Zizilwanyana ezitya inyama kuphela ezazibonakala zimanzi ngokwaneleyo ukuba zingasinda, amagqabi azo amile okweenkwenkwezi ayenomdla kumathontsi anamathelayo anomtsalane. Izityalo ze-pitcher zaziqinile kwaye zibuthathaka, ngokungathi imvula yayiza ngokukhawuleza. Ecaleni kwendlela encinci, ngequbuliso umhlambi omncinci weentaka wawuphambi kwam, ukroba kwaye uvuyisana, ngesizathu esithile, uhlala ubaleka kwicala elifanayo nam. Iqela lam lokuziqhelanisa aliyi kubhabha lide udonga lwamatye luvele ngqo phambi kwam.
Ndathatha umgca, ndaphakamisa ndaza ndabamba intlanzi ephakathi, ndaza ndahlala ecaleni kwelitye, ndakhulula izihlangu zam kunye neekawusi, ndayama etyeni, ndaza ndanyathela emanzini afudumeleyo amdaka. Ndiyayiva isandi esikhulu nesikhanyayo se-Osprey, kodwa andikwazi ukubona isandi sayo esibhakabhakeni. Kwakukho umoya emanzini, ndaza ndacinga ngokudada. Phambi kwamehlo am, iimoto kunye neelori zihlala zihamba endleleni ngamanye amaxesha. Iingceba eziphakamileyo kunye neendlela zabahambi ngeenyawo zenza indlela ibe ngumda phakathi kwezulu nomhlaba, ngoko ke iimoto zihamba ngandlela thile.
Amachibi kunye nezihlahla ezingenanto zakhiwe njengeengubo ezinkulu, zifikelela kumphezulu womhlaba kumacala omabini, zinelanga kwaye zishushu, umhlaba womile, kwaye ivumba lezihlahla kunye neebhogi zepeat liyaphuphuma.
Ngoko ke, xa ungena emotweni, ecaleni konxweme, ungena emanzini amdaka angaphantsi nabanzi kunye nomlambo omncinci wamatye, ohlanjwa ngamanzi ixesha elide, ukuze zonke zibe nembonakalo efanayo efana ne-wax nengqukuva. Azininzi iintlanzi, kwaye apho zikhoyo, zivalelwe kwimingxunya enzulu, phantsi kweendonga ezisikiweyo, amanzi omlambo ayagoba aze anqumle umhlaba phantsi kwemithi, kwaye amanzi ahamba ngokukhawuleza kwiikona aqhuba amatye ezantsi komlambo. Push ukuze enze iidike kunye namadama. I-stout yaphuma yaza yalunywa ziimpukane ngamehlo omnyama, kodwa needragonflies nazo zalunywa, zahlasela iimpukane ezingqongileyo ngaphambi kokuba zilume ngamandla.
Kwigophe, isandi sentlabathi yamanzi aqukuqelayo sibonakala ngathi sidla ezinye izandi, ngoko ke kukho isandi esithambileyo sokuhlanjwa kwamanzi aqengqelekayo phezu kwawo. Ilanga lishushu kakhulu, kwaye amatye omlambo emqolo wam ashushu ngakumbi. Akukho kuphumla kosuku olunye.
Russell Wangersky’s column appeared in the SaltWire newspaper and website on the Canadian Atlantic coast. You can contact him at russell.wangersky@thetelegram.com-Twitter: @wangersky.