Had a very nice walk along the dike this morning. Cloudy but dry with little wind, temperature about 7 degrees. This time of year I love watching the Trumpeter Swans taking off from the canal to head over to the fields for the day. They fly like large aircraft. Long takeoff runs, then they accelerate in ground effect before climbing. When they land, they fly a base leg to scrub off speed with the wing tips arcing down to act like flaps and using their big feet as speed brakes before they flare and land. Majestic. I sometimes wonder if they weren't an inspiration for the Klingon Bird of Prey with their long necks.