Mooned

The crisp autumn air was perfect for enjoying some time next to Lake Laverne. Sadly, winter is creeping up on us, and I had to make sure to layer up today in order to stay warm. I literally have nothing to do in Ames when I'm not working, so this is one of the ways in which I spend my free time--hanging out on a bench with a good book and Sir Lancelot and Elaine (the swans). Holy cow, I feel like I need a new hobby. Anyways, I'm not sure if the swans were looking for food or what, but they decided to repeatedly moon me for the forty-five minutes I was on the bench.

On a slight tangent, I've always wondered how many times these swans get "replaced." I did a little research and found out that there was a contest held in 1935 during VEISHEA to name the swans. Some student by the name of John Nesinwancer came up with the names (Lancelot and Elaine) and walked away with a hefty ten-dollar prize. There was also a contest held in during VEISHEA in 1958 to name two geese on the lake. Not quite as popular as the swans, the geese are named Ruben and Rachel. Also interesting-- the swans and geese cannot fly south during Ames' brutal winter because the cord in the wing joint is clipped so they can't straighten their wings (how pleasant). They are taken off the lake right after homecoming and kept on the college poultry farm, and they are reintroduced right before Easter.