|
I did end up going for my walk yesterday, but not until the afternoon. It was spitting a bit, and overcast, but High Park still worked its magic. (There are a couple new pictures in the photo album.) By the time I reached the exit I was feeling refreshed and relieved. At that point I ought to have gone home...but I didn't. I wanted to look down one more path and as I did so a Downy Woodpecker landed in the tree right beside me. I stopped to watch him, which gave Mr. Talk enough time to see me and come over to ask, "What you got there?" I made the mistake of answering him. After a brief chat about birds (which I assumed would be the sum of our conversation) Mr. Talk launched into an exhaustive diatribe about the evils of socialism, how to correct a lazy temper, his career as a garbage man, issues affecting property investment, the proper weight, height and build of a paratrooper and the nature of banking and electrical engineering. He told me how to secure a bank loan and how to get a cheap dinner. He waxed rhapsodic over the marvels of owning an apartment building and vilified the evils of food banks. For close to two hours he held court, treating me to a wide and varied series of lectures. My participation was not required, though he did quiz me several times and poked me in the chest for emphasis...or to make sure I was awake and listening. For the record, this fellow wasn't a bad sort. He's an old shipyard labourer from Liverpool, now in his late 70's and free to dole out advice unbidden to casual and unsuspecting passers by. He has a quick and insightful mind and a generous soul. He also has an endless stream of good advice and stories. Any other time I'd have been delighted, say over a pint (or twelve), but my feet were sore and I had papers to write and laundry and dishes to do. I tried providing the non-verbal "I'm done now" cues, but no. Once commenced his monologue stopped for no man, never mind an insignificant detail like the setting of the sun. Well, it wasn't that long. But it felt like it. My ears must have been bleeding before he let me go. Why on earth was I so polite? Still, the trip had been worth it. I caught a couple new birds for my photo collection (see my bird watching page for details) and I saw something I'd never seen before - a bird swimming with most of its body under water, just its long neck visible. Odd. The Anhinga does that, but they're not supposed to be this far north. I got a rather bad, Loch Ness Monster like picture of it...my stupid camera batteries were failing and the zoom was too great a demand for the limited power I had left. If anyone out there knows about this weird bird behaviour, do tell. And if you're in the High Park area and you hear a Liverpool accent, for the love of all that's holy - RUN! |
