#0180 "Feathered Friend"

From March of 1988... a long time ago but from a place not very far away from Singleton...

My son Keith and I were out for a walk at the Cataraqui Conservation Area north of Kingston, Ontario in March 1988. We encountered a boisterous flock of Chickadees- eager to be fed. The mitts were knit by his Grandma and he is wearing one of my old toques. I wonder where that toque is now?

My son was holding his hand out for one particular chickadee while leaning against a very large and very old white pine. The bark and limbs of this pine had a lot of character. Many people probably leaned up against this giant of the forest in a similar pose.

This encounter prompted me to build a Birdman out of four inch PVC pipe. The shoulder and elbows and arms were filled with seed that spilled out on to the carved hands of the Birdman as the seed was consumed. More seed was added by unscrewing the head. The entire Birdman was mounted on a swivel like a wind vane. This allowed the birds to land into the wind like they prefer. One of my old coats completed his attire. Another similar coat was available for anyone to wear so that they could stand out and feel the thrill of feeding the birds. The pictures tell the rest of the story. I am not making this up...