Chirps and Peeps

 

 

 

 

 

 

       I love watching birds. No, not the bird watching kind with binoculars, and an encyclopedic knowledge of birding. Just  a view in the yard, or in a parking lot is fine with me.  They are a little like people. The big one tries to scare the others away from the food source…. maybe it is just a half eaten cheeto, but fine dining for a sparrow.  I like the way they scurry, and maneuver around to get the best bite. The timid tiny ones hold back, and wait for the left-overs if there are any. Unaware of any higher intelligence than themselves, they just hop to and fro from day-to-day not worrying about a thing. I have seen a wren’s nest loaded with chirps and peeps snuggled into a heavy piece of equipment that was used to saw trees into lumber.  The mother bird would sit on her nest with the roaring noise of everything right around her, and she never seemed disturbed.

        Going out-of-town taking care of errands I used to frequent the most wonderful hot dog place. The locals loved it too….and the pigeons.  That was part of the fun…watching them ….and throwing out the french fries which my heart didn’t need anyway.  Bon appetite for them! It was  panic time with thirty pigeons vying for two french fries at a time.  The owner had enough of the zoo outside, and placed a plastic owl on his roof in hopes of scaring the birds. It worked for a while. He didn’t think much of their intelligence, and they weren’t impressed with his owl that never wanted a french fry. THAT… they understood instinctively.  He never did get rid of them all.  But he and his wife did tell me that they sent their kids through college selling hot dogs.  Free food for the birds, and college for the kids.  No one lost.  I read the recipe for that famous hot dog sauce in a book on deciphering secret recipes.  The author said it was one of the most difficult  to copy.  I think I will give it a try.  How did I get from parking lot birds to a hot dog sauce recipe?   Well, I have no idea!!           ……..Terri O.A.