Wednesday, 7 December 2016

Monday, December 5th, 2016

Moundsville, West Virginia
  
Birds and Dudes


I was walking around the pond and happily met Malati, a dear god-sister, who was feeding the peacocks.  They became the subject of our discussion.  You know they are beautiful conversation pieces.  Malati had tossed out an assortment of seeds and corn, and those birds, about ten in all, were relishing lunch like anything.

In the course of our chat, we both observed an interesting dynamic.  The crows quietly made flight to nearby trees.  They helped themselves to branches for perching.  When the peacocks had their fill, the chickadees bobbed around and took to the remnants.  Bon Appetite!  The crows still waited.

The next installment was two blue jays.  Aggressive or what?  They  zoomed in with their larger wing-span and threw off the tiny feathered-friends, the chickadees.  For the final swoop, the crows came down and finished off what was left.

Here we saw a genuine display of ‘pecking’ order.  Most interesting!  Maybe a form of caste system?

I left the quiet of the country, New Vrindavana, for the airport at Pittsburgh; then to Toronto, and then Union Station.  I was searching for the subway transit system when I met a flock of birds.  Dudes rather.  One particular young Afro-Canadian fella asked, “You’re a monk?”  I told him I was.  “Holy F***! Oh! I’m not supposed to swear?”

His friend said, “You can swear but he (meaning me) can’t.”

“Oh!”  He was stunned, but shook hands and promised to visit me, and he won’t swear if he comes.

May the Source be with you!


4 km

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