Anecdotes

[Dave]

It's 0040, after an hour's sleep and a trip to the loo I have insomnia and started reminiscing. You seemed to like Icarus' anecdotes so I though it worth starting a thread. Here's my first contribution, hoping there will be others...

Waddle the Caller Duck.

Caller ducks are about half the size of ordinary ones, just nice for a good roast for one very hungry person. But they are too important to be dinner. They are called caller ducks because they are flockers, gregarious, and have a very loud, high pitched quack. If they see other ducks flying over they call to them. This is very useful to hunters, tie a caller to a plant or stake, wait for other ducks to wing in to see who is calling, then pot the incomers for supper.

I worked for a while volunteering at a "countryside centre", mostly building and maintenance but, as there had to be someone over 21 there while it was open, also in a supervisory role. Of course, they had a dozen or more different kinds of chickens, from bantams to Rhode Island reds and ducks, from callers to Aylesburys and Indian runners - plus peacocks. Peacocks are vicious and we did our best to keep them out of the bird enclosure, they were  literaly top of the pecking order and let everyone know it.

But, eventually, they pecked Waddle's mate to death and hit her on the head so often the wound never healed and part of her skull was permanently exposed. She was probsbly insane by then but certainly spent the rest of her short life under the bushes, where the other birds could not get to her. We paid her special sttention, making sure she got an adequate supply of the best food, worms included.

Our other "service" to her was to stand in a certain place, our back tight up to the bushes, feet about hine inches apart (this was found by "accident".)Then Waddle would come out from under her bush and stand between our feet, squawking and cussing at the other birds from that safe place and pecking at our boots or trousers in displaced violence. I was quite happy to stand there until she had got it all off her little chest - watching the behaviour of all the birds and animals was one of the delights of the work.

This area had intrigued me since coming across "King Solomon's Ring" by the ethologist, Konrad Lorenz several decades ago. "The Social Contract", by Robert Ardrey, though aimed at explaining the evolution of mankind's social development, probably played a part as well - we have evident parallels with all social animals in our behaviours towards others. Still got the books, maybe it is time for a re-read!

At this moment, though, it's time for another pee, good night morning.

[Dave]

O240 and still just as awake, so I'll tell you about...

Bozo the Bantam Cock.

Well, I called him Boxo because that is what he was - who else but a bozo would take on an opponent weighing at least 30 something times as much? I ask you, is that courage or stupidity? Or just genetically programmed instinct?

Whatever, Boxo hated me. Maybe it was because, when I opened the crntre at 9am on Sundays, to prepare for the 10am public opening, his hareem would follow me as soon as I let them out.  We had various sized sections of tree trunk dotted about the place for mugs visitors to sit on and feed the inmates from the exhorbitantly priced little paper bags of corn or peanuts we sold. I would tip these on their sides, it was always cool and damp under them - and full of juicy worms! I was their favourite person.

Not so for their rightful lord and master though!

Chickens fight by jumping up and striking with the rear facing toe/claw, the "spur". Normally this is cut off in free range chicken farms, not so here. However, a couple of kilos of bird can't do much damage through a decent pair of jeans, and certainly not through Wellington boots. So, I would just stand there whilst he exhausted himself. I did not help matters if I had to do maintensnce work, kneeling near Bozo was an invitation to attacks to less well armoured parts of me... So I would bring in one of the big food buckets (plastic ex-wall paint tubs) and if he started on me I would put it over him. After a while he would disappear into the coop when he saw me with a bucket!

Anyway, the centre owners moved to deepest Somerset, on the very north east edge of Bodmin Moor, into what started as a medieval Great Hall with a cobbled courtyard that was now grown over with grass. The roof beams were well smoked oak, as hard as stone, the front door was 50mm thick oak and it had its own, separate, chapel. It was owned by the National Trust and there was a working smithy nearby, run by a young lad who used as many of the old techniques as he could.

Back to Bozo. It was six months before I had a chance to visit the new centre. Chickens can't have that long a memory can they? Wrong! On my first morning there Bozo started on me. It was a Saturday and there were about twenty visitors when i started to walk through the chicken area and across the courtyard. Bozo spotted me and gave chase. I stopped and turned to let him get over it but he stopped as well, nonchalently pecking at the grass. I started walking again and, as soon as my back was turned, he was after me. I stopped, he pecked. I walked, he chased. He finally caught up and started kicking. I explained it to the visitors and they thought it was hilarious.

He gave up altogether after a couple of days, I would carry a pocketfull of corn, chucking some of that down took his attention. Soon I did not even need that,

[Icarus]

There is a window over the head of the bed where I sleep.  Damned near every morning a gorgeous male cardinal sits or dances around the window sill. No problem with the dancing part but he also pecks at the window which makes a loud sound. He might try that 10 to 20 times per morning and then give it up.  Is he trying to wake his benefactor? He must be giving himself a headache.

Around back of the house there is a well stocked bird feeder. The cardinal and Mrs Cardinal are regular diners there along with several other varieties of birds.  The red headed woodpecker that comes to the feeder has a distinctly different feeding posture.  He somehow clings to the edge of the feeder base.  The other birds use the protruding pegs to perch easily at the ideal feeding position. Woodpecker has his own agenda I suppose.

[Biggus Dickus]

I'm enjoying this thread Dave, and your amusing acecdotes...yours too Icarus.

[Ecurb Noselrub]

Animals I've seen crossing my back yard: foxes, turkeys, deer, armadillos, dogs, cats. 
Animals just across the fence (my addition used to be a ranch): cows, goats.
Animals you don't want to meet at night that occasionally show up in my neighborhood: coyotes (you can hear them howl), mountain lions (saw one while walking one morning).
Animals of the flying variety (birds) that frequent my premises: mockingbirds, cardinals, crows, grackles, hoot owls, buzzards, finches, sparrows, swifts, black birds, blue jays, doves.
Animals of the slithering variety (snakes & other reptiles) that frequent my premises: coral snakes, rattlesnakes, rat snakes, hog nose snakes, lizards, geckos.
Animals of the creeping or buzzing variety (insects, arachnids, etc.) that frequent my premises: scorpions, wolf spiders, garden spiders, centipedes, pill bugs, ants, yellow jackets, wasps, cicadas, cicada killers (giant wasps), honey bees (fewer now), katydids, dirt (mud) daubers, crickets.
Animals of the amphibious variety that frequent my premises: toads, frogs.

That's the nature report from River Place Addition, Belton, Texas.     

[Ecurb Noselrub]

I will also sadly report that the Texas horny toad (horned lizard), which used to be found everywhere in this area, is hardly ever seen anymore because of imported fire ants. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texas_horned_lizard


It's our "state reptile", by the way.

[Tank]

I will also sadly report that the Texas horny toad (horned lizard), which used to be found everywhere in this area, is hardly ever seen anymore because of imported fire ants. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texas_horned_lizard


It's our "state reptile", by the way.

Animals I've seen crossing my back yard: foxes, turkeys, deer, armadillos, dogs, cats. 
Animals just across the fence (my addition used to be a ranch): cows, goats.
Animals you don't want to meet at night that occasionally show up in my neighborhood: coyotes (you can hear them howl), mountain lions (saw one while walking one morning).
Animals of the flying variety (birds) that frequent my premises: mockingbirds, cardinals, crows, grackles, hoot owls, buzzards, finches, sparrows, swifts, black birds, blue jays, doves.
Animals of the slithering variety (snakes & other reptiles) that frequent my premises: coral snakes, rattlesnakes, rat snakes, hog nose snakes, lizards, geckos.
Animals of the creeping or buzzing variety (insects, arachnids, etc.) that frequent my premises: scorpions, wolf spiders, garden spiders, centipedes, pill bugs, ants, yellow jackets, wasps, cicadas, cicada killers (giant wasps), honey bees (fewer now), katydids, dirt (mud) daubers, crickets.
Animals of the amphibious variety that frequent my premises: toads, frogs.

That's the nature report from River Place Addition, Belton, Texas.   

[Ecurb Noselrub]

I will also sadly report that the Texas horny toad (horned lizard), which used to be found everywhere in this area, is hardly ever seen anymore because of imported fire ants. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texas_horned_lizard


It's our "state reptile", by the way.

Animals I've seen crossing my back yard: foxes, turkeys, deer, armadillos, dogs, cats. 
Animals just across the fence (my addition used to be a ranch): cows, goats.
Animals you don't want to meet at night that occasionally show up in my neighborhood: coyotes (you can hear them howl), mountain lions (saw one while walking one morning).
Animals of the flying variety (birds) that frequent my premises: mockingbirds, cardinals, crows, grackles, hoot owls, buzzards, finches, sparrows, swifts, black birds, blue jays, doves.
Animals of the slithering variety (snakes & other reptiles) that frequent my premises: coral snakes, rattlesnakes, rat snakes, hog nose snakes, lizards, geckos.
Animals of the creeping or buzzing variety (insects, arachnids, etc.) that frequent my premises: scorpions, wolf spiders, garden spiders, centipedes, pill bugs, ants, yellow jackets, wasps, cicadas, cicada killers (giant wasps), honey bees (fewer now), katydids, dirt (mud) daubers, crickets.
Animals of the amphibious variety that frequent my premises: toads, frogs.

That's the nature report from River Place Addition, Belton, Texas.   

I like sitting out back with a glass of bourbon or cognac and just watching the festivities. Something is always happening in the animal kingdom.

[Sandra Craft]

I like to watch the animal kingdom too, from the big window of my 3rd floor apartment.  In my case, however, it's usually the drunks leaving the bar across the street.  Sometimes a squirrel running across the telephone wires, or a crow hanging about cawing for no apparent reason.

[Magdalena]

I like to watch the animal kingdom too, from the big window of my 3rd floor apartment.  In my case, however, it's usually the drunks leaving the bar across the street.  Sometimes a squirrel running across the telephone wires, or a crow hanging about cawing for no apparent reason.

I see raccoons, squirrels, possums, skunks, dogs, cats, humming birds, crows, butterflies, praying mantis, lizards, wild green parrots, pigeons, ladybugs, black widows, crickets and green grasshoppers, moths, wasps, bees, earthworms, mosquitoes, ...like you, I see all kinds of Homo Sapiens everywhere...drunk and not drunk. 

[Magdalena]

Animals I've seen crossing my back yard: foxes, turkeys, deer, armadillos, dogs, cats. 
Animals just across the fence (my addition used to be a ranch): cows, goats.
Animals you don't want to meet at night that occasionally show up in my neighborhood: coyotes (you can hear them howl), mountain lions (saw one while walking one morning).
Animals of the flying variety (birds) that frequent my premises: mockingbirds, cardinals, crows, grackles, hoot owls, buzzards, finches, sparrows, swifts, black birds, blue jays, doves.
Animals of the slithering variety (snakes & other reptiles) that frequent my premises: coral snakes, rattlesnakes, rat snakes, hog nose snakes, lizards, geckos.
Animals of the creeping or buzzing variety (insects, arachnids, etc.) that frequent my premises: scorpions, wolf spiders, garden spiders, centipedes, pill bugs, ants, yellow jackets, wasps, cicadas, cicada killers (giant wasps), honey bees (fewer now), katydids, dirt (mud) daubers, crickets.
Animals of the amphibious variety that frequent my premises: toads, frogs.

That's the nature report from River Place Addition, Belton, Texas.   

It's nice to know you admire nature this much. 
Most people don't stop to look at it. I also enjoy looking at plants and trees, I try to guess what they are. 

Edit...
No, Bruce, or Father Bruno, I do not attempt to smoke the plants I encounter. 

[xSilverPhinx]

So, some time back I was talking to a couple of people at the hospital where I currently intern, and both of them were a little surprised when I flat-out told them I was an atheist after the subject of religious affiliation came up. Yesterday an employee, who is a devout evangelical Christian, and who I like very much for her helpful and kind disposition she's always had towards me, pulled me aside to try and convince me that god was real and that the Bible is clear -- if I didn't believe I would go to hell.

I was stunned at first, but I couldn't help noticing that this person was visibly upset and really worried for my soul. She really believes that I will burn in hell for all eternity if she or anyone who follows her particular brand of religion doesn't 'save' me.

"God loves you", she said.

"Okay..." I didn't know whether to roll my eyes or feel angry. Instead I let my eyes break her gaze.

"God gave us free will, but the time will come when you're spiritually mature enough to see his love."

After a good many minutes of this, I began to feel sorry for her. I wasn't going to try and argue against her steadfast belief in a higher power, apparently it gave her life meaning and made her happy, and she was such a nice person and all...

So I let it be. I guess I have a higher tolerance for this stuff (coming from well-meaning people) than I thought.

[xSilverPhinx]

Edit...
No, Bruce, or Father Bruno, I do not attempt to smoke the plants I encounter. 

Oh, Mags...

[Sandra Craft]

So I let it be. I guess I have a higher tolerance for this stuff (coming from well-meaning people) than I thought.

Yeah, it's hard not to feel sympathetic.  In these situations I want to say "If believing that makes you happy then you go right ahead and believe it", which is just how I feel except that sounds so condescending that I don't.  I feel atheists are hemmed in for responses that are both honest and polite.

[xSilverPhinx]

So I let it be. I guess I have a higher tolerance for this stuff (coming from well-meaning people) than I thought.

Yeah, it's hard not to feel sympathetic.  In these situations I want to say "If believing that makes you happy then you go right ahead and believe it", which is just how I feel except that sounds so condescending that I don't.  I feel atheists are hemmed in for responses that are both honest and polite.

Yeah, that's how I feel also, and sometimes being both honest and polite can be so difficult!