The ocean was unusually peaceful. There was no sight of intoxicated waterscooter-riders slaloming among scared surfers. Actually there were no surfers at all. Our deserted beach was getting ghostly.
I was already changing to my swimming trunks, when the crows got agitated. They took guarding positions right along the oddly moving waves.
It was the same beach spot where a young foreign visitor was sucked into the ocean by the last fall's typhoon. His body was never found. In the first few months after moving to Shonan coast eight years ago, I was confronted with three floating bodies. With every passing year, there were more victims. Some were discovered by Enoshima Coastal Guard ship, the others by our SURF90 Volunteer Lifesavers. Or by the crow gangs.
When out of the blue a Coastal Guard patrol boat invaded my usual swimming route and crows got louder, I chickened out. Then two big navy ships took over our bay. The State of Emergency was on...
Was feeling strange after returning home without my daily swim. On Sunday morning my fever jumped to 37.1°C. The crows revisited me in my sleep, but not cats. I have remained at home unable to write for the last few days. Tomorrow will try to bring more food to our cats shelter.