Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2017/10/06
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Excellent continuation of the story (and excellent pic). Cheers, Nathan Nathan Wajsman Alicante, Spain http://www.frozenlight.eu <http://www.frozenlight.eu/> http:// <http://www.greatpix.eu/>www.greatpix.eu PICTURE OF THE WEEK: http://www.fotocycle.dk/paws <http://www.fotocycle.dk/paws>Blog: http://nathansmusings.wordpress.com/ <http://nathansmusings.wordpress.com/> Cycling: http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/belgiangator <http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/belgiangator> YNWA > On 02 Oct 2017, at 01:38, Douglas Barry <imra at iol.ie> wrote: > > I discovered the internet lied to me. > > After a day without some beady eye affection, I realised I was missing the > pigeon. However, my temporary pigeon deprivation wasn't to last. My wife > went out to her car today, saw a movement behind it, and discovered a > pigeon. I came out on her call, realised that it was the same one, and > that the poor thing was obviously entranced by the quality of the > Flahavans Pinhead Oats that I had given it when it was here before. I say > this confident in my understanding of the knowing and hopeful looks it > gave me. With our cat asleep in the house, my wife headed off, and I > cycled down for my daily swim in the sea. When I pedalled back a half hour > later, there was the pigeon waiting for me. > > However, being a pigeon hotel proprietor is not in my life plan, so I rang > John the owner of the stray pigeon to say that it was back with me, and > had it returned to him, and then changed its mind? He said that, according > to his records, it hadn't been raced by him for at least a year, and that > someone else must retrieved it. After some desultory chit chat, I got the > distinct impression that John didn't really see himself getting back with > this pigeon, especially as he lived on the far side of Dublin. "Could I > give it to someone else - a local pigeon owner?" I suggested. He didn't > think so, as he thought they would be afraid that all their pigeons might > get some sort of plague. He thought that maybe I might like it > permanently. I said I couldn't see it living happily, or very long, with > my pet cat. After a silence, he then suggested I let it revert to its > feral state. > > I asked him how I would accomplish that. He recommended that I shoo it > away, and, above all, not to feed it or give it water, as it was clearly > bonding with our garage which it now associated with rest and refreshment. > The internet site I had read a couple of days earlier had recommended > feeding and rest and stated that once it recovered (24 to 48 hours) it > would fly back to its loving owner. Some chance with this one, I thought. > I asked about our cat, and John said that once it sees a cat, it'll clear > off anyway. I went out to it and did some heavy shooing. It shot under one > of the cars and there it stayed until I went back into the house. > > At lunch, my wife spotted it just outside the patio window staring in at > us eating. I went in and woke the sleeping cat and put it on the other > side of the window. The cat spotted it, stiffened, flicked its tail, > paused for a minute or so, and then leapt at the window. The pigeon did > its best Kim Jong-un impression and didn't look in the least bit phased by > the Trumpian showboating. It stared back and didn't move. The cat got more > enraged. Eventually, I had to go out another way and flap my swimming > towel until the bird retreated and flew off to the garden wall. I then let > the cat out, and it became clear that this was one cool bird who knew how > to deal with cats. It remained high enough to keep well away from it, and > stayed staring down at an excited cat. > > I decided that I wasn't really abandoning an ingenue to its fate, but > really reminding a mature thing of the limitations of its expectations. I > went off and did other things. However, here is a photo my son took of the > cat and the pigeon. > > http://www.gallery.leica-users.org/v/DouglasBray/NHLFs/Target+Acquired.jpg.html > > I hope the bloody thing has moved to pastures new by tomorrow. > > Douglas > > > > _______________________________________________ > Leica Users Group. > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information