Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2017/10/01
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]+1! And if an opening for Chief of Staff in a certain House in Washington, DC, should open up, I?d recommend Douglas and his car submit their application? ?howard > On Oct 1, 2017, at 7:45 PM, RicCarter <ric at cartersxrd.net> wrote: > > i believe that his is one of the best natural histories i have ever read > > ric > > >> On Oct 1, 2017, at 7:38 PM, 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 > > > _______________________________________________ > Leica Users Group. > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information