Friday 30 May 2008

This Morning

In a section of their own called "Long Story Short" or dispersed among five other sections of a manuscript called Natural Causes--six Stan Still songs will go one way or the other. But's that for later, after I tell you about the potential tenants' revolt here in my apartment building.

Apparently what is happening is that my zealous pursuit of rock dove eradication has multiplied their presence on other people's balconies. The balcony straight north, for instance, presents a new skyline: pile of dung next to the barbecue.

Just now when I threw my bag of household garbage into the dumpster, I heard a voice coming from any of five half-open windows or balcony doors. "Hey buddy. Carry your share of the pigeon load, why don't you."

("Rock doves," some other voice yelled, correcting the first. "But I agree about the load.")

It's getting a bit tense. Anyone I meet on the stairs looks at me like I'm the sherrif or something. And all because I've kept my mornings free of rock doves and their cooing, so that I may better hear the busses idling loudly across the alley.

4 comments:

Brenda Schmidt said...

Alas, to correct the corrector, the powers that be in the ornithological world have decided to once again call these birds rock pigeons. Birdwatchers have since adjusted to the change and updated their lists, but it will be a long while before the general population catches up. Perhaps your pigeons are simply experiencing a full blown identity crisis due to the corrector's incorrect corrections. Imagine someone changing your name from Gerald Hill to Gerald Valley and then back again. How would you react?

Brenda Schmidt said...

Also I think perhaps the tenants in your building should adopt a new approach. Why not join Project PigeonWatch!

Gerald Hill said...

Say it ain't so! What am I going to do with all my "rock dove" material? It's in a song title, for god's sake.

As for Gerald Valley, he must be Rudi's brother.

Gerald Hill said...

Around here, we call it ProjectPigeonSnatch.