Dragons

Meadow Lake flows into Flushing Bay, an area on the East River in Queens.  Scientists sampling the fish in Meadow Lake in 2005 caught some northern snakeheads.  Today dragons appeared there.

Excuse the foto, but–yes– Meadow Lake is part of World’s Fair Park, and that’s the Unisphere along the right.

With dragons in the sky, the water, and

and in the park, check out this about the origin of DB racing in Queens and ancient Chinese dissident Qu Yuan.

Dozens of heats took place today.  Each heat (that I saw) featured three boats.  At the start line, the drummer in each boat began to beat the paddling rhythm as soon as the official (in the small yellow motor boat) brought the white flag down.

White flag down,and

twenty forward facing paddlers, the drummer, and a standing steerer move as one:

The drum is the dragon’s heartbeat, the paddlers– its claws, and the steerer–its tail.

Crews resemble the population of Queens, the most ethnically diverse county in the US.  Races continue tomorrow.  I love human-powered racing.  Race is free;  bring an umbrella to protect from sun and intermittent rains.

Photos, WVD.