I'm pretty sure it was an oriole. Black yellow, with a little white thrown in.
My Department Chair came in to ask me to run a meeting the next day, since he was not going to be there. So, while he rattled off stuff he wanted me to cover, my eyes drift the back window. And there, on the fence, sits this beautiful couple of birds. One has a bright yellow breast with oriole type markings. I have never seen one. I'm not sure if orioles even live out here in the Inland Desert. He was there with his girlfriend, who was less colorful-the way of most of our ornithlogical friends.
I shouted, "Look! It's an oriole!"
My DC turns around and looks.
"Yeah, nice. So discuss the new textbook adoption, and if you have time..."
"He's flying towards the window!"
My DC turns around again.
"Hm. Very nice. Then, let people know how much is in our budget...."
There isn't much that's pretty outside my window. A lake is located behind us, but you can't see it. What you do see is debris from the state park. It's an ugly view. But occasionally you see a bird or two.
Once, while lecturing, I saw a redtail hawk sitting on the fence. I've seen quite a few of these in the area, but never outside my window. So, I drop the lecture and say " hey, look, everybody!" and point at the window.
The students turn around, look, someone says "Hm, neat bird," and they turn back towards me.
They couldn't have been less impressed.
Is nature doomed?
7 comments:
Maybe you could ask Dr. Phil.
I know my kids have an appreciation of animals when we see them in their unnatural habitats such as the Wild Animal Park and the zoo but they're just not all that interested in birds. Give 'em a snarling raccoon tho and they jump around looking.
fenkykp = fenky fenky kip
Not only could people use such serendipitous moments to fill their minds with joy (which might help them in several ways), but also to keep them at least near the present moment.
But, Americans don't really think that way for the norm, do they... (How is one to punctuate a rhetorical question?)
hwclk - hawk clock, useful for determing birding-appropriate times.
Was the question mark question a rhetorical question?
Question Mark Question would be a good name for a band.
A really weird band.
It would be fun if the question mark question were a rhetorical question, but no, I was referring to what I wrote as "Americans don't really think that way for the norm, do they..."
Or was "was the question mark question a rhetorical question" a rhetorical question?
Oh dear, this recursion could go on indefinitely...
Actually, a rhetorical question ends the same way an normal question does. BUT, instead of being followed by an answer, it's followed by a long, thought ful pause or perhaps a gasp of self-realization followed by an exclamation point!
hfynj-the sound most people make durin a moment of self-realization!?
"self-realization"? Is that what the kids are calling it these days?
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