I want to tell you about this new hobby I’ve discovered. It’s LIVE webcams. First, a little background.
One of our Stonewall Gardens’ residents, who is relatively new, found herself sitting at my table in the dining room recently, and struck up a friendly conversation. As a veteran, with nine years under my belt here, and two more at another facility, she wanted to know, and I quote, “what do you do for fun?”
At first, I struggled in my mind to find an answer, because when I think of “fun” I think of a rollercoaster ride or skiing down a snow-covered slope – two things I used to do regularly before, well, you know, before I couldn’t. Finally, I told her “nothing” because I’m not really looking to have fun, per se.
Her response was, and I’m paraphrasing here, “yah, there’s nothing to do, they should have more things for us to do.” My reply to which startled her. I said, “oh I’ve got plenty to do, and I enjoy it, but I’m not sure I’d call that ‘enjoyment’ fun.” The befuddled, quizzical look on her face told me I had not made my point; it said ‘tell me more,’ so I did.
The most important thing for my well-being and contentedness in this, my “second act,” has been to play the hand dealt me. Do I sometimes wish things were different? Of course I do. But wishing for things outside your control is pointless and leads to anxiety and unhappiness. In the Enchiridion (or handbook), a short manual of Stoic ethical advice compiled by Arrian, a 2nd century disciple of the Greek philosopher Epictetus, published around 125 CE, we find:
Some things are in our control and others not. Things in our control are opinion, pursuit, desire, aversion, and, in a word, whatever are our own actions. Things not in our control are body, property, reputation, command, and, in one word, whatever are not our own actions.
The things in our control are by nature free, unrestrained, unhindered; but those not in our control are weak, slavish, restrained, belonging to others. Remember, then, that if you suppose that things which are slavish by nature are also free, and that what belongs to others is your own, then you will be hindered. You will lament, you will be disturbed, and you will find fault both with gods and men. But if you suppose that only to be your own which is your own, and what belongs to others such as it really is, then no one will ever compel you or restrain you. Further, you will find fault with no one or accuse no one. You will do nothing against your will. No one will hurt you, you will have no enemies, and you will not be harmed.
So “wishing” for things that I cannot bring about – like hair on my head or legs that work – is a fool’s errand. My time is better spent doing those things I can; in the long run, that will make me happier and more content. I read a little, write a little, putter around in my garden, I avoid social media like the cesspool it is, only allow myself what we’ll call passive “entertainment” (television viewing and/or streaming) after dark for 2-3 hours before bed, and listen to a lot of music which I have amassed over the years in my iTunes library – everything from Helen Reddy to Taylor Swift.
And recently, I’ve discovered live webcams. It all started with this one – the iconic view of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia: https://webcamsydney.com/. This led me to get a “world clock” app so I could visualize how sunlight moves across the planet. I find it fascinating how I can be sitting here in California on Tuesday morning looking at tomorrow (as I write this, it is Wednesday morning in Sydney – they are 18 hours ahead of us). I am, literally, looking into the future!
Then I started “exploring” the world of live webcams, and found this site – earthTV: https://www.earthtv.com/en, with active cams in cities all over the world and a stream that switches between them every ten seconds. But I found that when I was awake and going on my webcam adventures, most of the cams, which are in Europe, were showing me nighttime given the time difference. I wondered whether there was a North American equivalent, and found – Weather around the USA webcams: https://www.fox10phoenix.com/weather-around-the-usa-webcams, run out of a Fox station in Phoenix, which also has a stream that switches between cams every ten seconds but only shows US cities, so the time of day is generally within 3 hours of me.
Then I discovered Jackie and Shadow at Big Bear Bald Eagle Live Nest – Cam 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B4-L2nfGcuE, which has become my favorite, not only because Jackie and Shadow are preparing their nest for an egg, but because the cam’s position is pointing in my direction; I am located just beyond the lake and over the far hill in the desert below this beautiful mountain spot in Southern California where I used to go skiing. As I’m typing this, Jackie and Shadow are “home” working on the nest, and 2,974 people like me are watching them! We have a bird’s eye view of a bird’s eye view!
And recently I found a new one I’m equally as excited about – NamibiaCam: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ydYDqZQpim8 at a desert waterhole fed by a solar-powered borehole that fills a nearby reservoir and is monitored by a water float that opens as the waterhole’s levels decline in the Gondwana Namib Park in the country of Namibia on the southwestern tip of Africa.
When I got up this morning at 4:30 am, I made myself a cup of coffee and pulled it up, and found…
That is a herd (I don’t know what the collective noun would be for antelope, so we’ll stick with ‘herd’) of oryxes at the waterhole. I watched the oryxes for over an hour this morning and captured the screengrab above. There is a great deal of drama going on here. The oryx in the waterhole, we’ll call her Sally, decided to check herself in for the full spa package including a hoof bath. But she’s actually trying to get away from the oryx just beyond her, call him Larry, looking on rather menacingly. Since I tuned in this morning, Larry had been chasing Sally around the waterhole trying to mount her for sexytime, but Sally was not and is not up for it; she took refuge in the waterhole, which has left Larry very annoyed, and very horny. Apparently, the concept of consent has not reached the animal world.
Meanwhile, immediately to the left of Sally at the edge of the waterhole is Tanya. Tanya is standing there, glaring at Sally, because not five minutes before she was having a nice drink of water. Then along came Sally and plunged her hoofs right into Tanya’s drink! Tanya never liked Sally anyway. Off to the right is Florence. She wants nothing to do with the rest of them because she’s found something to nibble on.
Right now, several hours later, the oryxes have moved on, the sun is setting, and a jackal has come to get a drink of water, chasing the birds trying to join him for some refreshment away. I think what fascinates me most, aside from watching these animals go about their business, and watching people on the city cams go about their day, oblivious to the fact that there’s a guy in Southern California on a laptop watching them, is that I am able to sit in Southern California on a laptop watching them, a continent and thousands of miles away! I think that is pretty cool. Who said the Internet is only good for porn? Well, it’s good for that, but I wouldn’t say ‘only.’
When I think about it, there’s something voyeuristic about it. But webcams are fun. So I guess you could say that’s what I do for fun. Although, getting tacos at my new favorite taco joint in Cathedral City is more fun! Get the Tacos Steak Lorenzas and ask for Moises as your waiter. Trust me!