Deja Vu at Shoreline Park Photo © Peter Y. Chou— Palo Alto Baylands Nature Preserve "Two snowy egrets at opposite ends of Baylands pond" Foothill College Day Hike Class, October 4, 2013

It's a scene I've seen somewhere before— two mates not talking to each other steaming inside in stony silence. Here at Shoreline Park, two egrets stand at opposite ends of the Baylands pond seemingly in discord, and my mind flashes back four decades ago when first seeing that marriage montage scene in Orson Welles' Citizen Kane. Gregg Toland's camera shows Kane sitting close to his newly wedded wife at the breakfast table smiling. Bernard Hermann's matching score is a lilting Waldteufel waltz showing the married couple's love. Then the music becomes louder and discordant as the couple exchanges harsh words, sitting further away. Finally the waltz is bleakly played on violin high squeaks as they sit at ends of the table in silence. Using swish panning, scene follows scene with the table lengthening showing dissolution of a marriage in minutes. Now I ponder on these two snowy egrets at opposite ends just like that scene from Citizen Kane and I wonder— What could have upset you two so much? Did he not share those jumbo shrimps with you? Was he out cavorting with another? Come on! Make up and love each other! I've come here not to see you quarrel, I've come here to see you sing & dance!         — Peter Y. Chou             Mountain View, 10-10-2013

Charles Kane & Emily happily married Citizen Kane Marriage Montage Charles Foster Kane & wife further apart Citizen Kane Marriage Montage Charles Kane & wife at opposite ends of breakfast table in stony silence Two Snowy Egrets Dancing Arthur Morris Photos (1999)