I know the joy of fishes in the river through my own joy, as I go walking along the same river. ~ Zhuangzi

Three Questions, January 2, 2025

You can find the background to The Three Questions in my recent post about it. I’ll be answering the questions each day for the next year and putting this experience into a book. Here we go!

What was the most beautiful thing I encountered today?

On my walk today I suddenly heard honking and looked up to see a big flock of Canadian geese flying only a few feet over head, totally cool.

What did I learn today?

Today I learned about a really cool dolphin. Pelorus Jack, a Risso’s dolphin (uncommon in New Zealand) that accompanied ships traveling between Wellington and Nelson, was so named because he would meet boats near the entrance to Pelorus Sound, in the Marlborough Sounds. First noticed in 1888 when he joined a steamer bound for Nelson, Pelorus Jack spent the next 24 years escorting boats from Pelorus Sound to treacherous French Pass, a narrow stretch of water between D’Urville Island and the mainland, where the water surges through at up to 8 knots.

Pelorus Jack always remained within a well-defined area. He joined boats heading for Nelson at the entrance to Pelorus Sound and swam to, but never through, French Pass. On the reverse journey, he met ships as they came out of the pass, staying with them for the 8 kilometers to Pelorus Sound before going his own way. He enjoyed swimming up against the boats and riding their bow waves.

What made me happy today?

Well it certainly wasn’t returning to work. What made me happy today was getting fully back into my healthy routines in term of eating, working out, etc…