About 6 years ago, the Significant Otter broke her foot. Suddenly, my birding activities more or less ground to a halt. It was amazing how much she couldn't do .... and what she could do was very slow. I always needed to be around in case anything went wrong as well. And even after the months of recuperation, she didn't feel she could start driving again, so I ferried her around everywhere for over a year. This was pretty awful for both of us. And it collapsed most of my birding activities drastically. But I did a very rational and positive thing. Rather than complaining about not being able to whizz off all over the place in search of birds, I decided to do everything I could within a short distance of where I live. I got out the OS map and drew a 3km radius around my house, to create a unique-to-me personalised "patch". I christened it the "3K." Nobody could do better than me in my unique dinky circle. It was mine and mine alone. That in itself was quite a neat thing! And what's more, I could get around it on foot if I had to. I'm lucky enough to live close to an estuary, a river, several ponds and lakes, a big wooded park, a canal, a salt marsh.... and even the area around my house is pretty productive too. I worked "my" 3K avidly for the next 5+ years ..... far beyond the need to. It was good to be out of the rat-race, and not to be too bothered about distant rarities. After all, I'd seen a hell of a lot of stuff and could hardly complain that I hadn't had a good bash. And now I've gone a stage further. I don't year-list any more. I record the highlights of what I see day by day, but I don't total it all up ... I couldn't tell you what my "year list" is so far this year, nor what it was last year. I just enjoy what I see as I go along. And I have to say, I find it quite relaxing. I suppose nowadays they'd call it downsizing. Here's a Kate and Anna McGarrigle song ... and a beautiful one too ... " Petite Annonce" ..... Je cherche une homme qui a cinq pieds trois
Moi je n'suis pas fille du Roi Ou bien ca va Ou ca va pas S'il vous plait repondez-moi Qui annonce recoit reponse Qui demande a recompense Qui annonce recoit reponse Qui demande a recompense Mais je n'ai que cinq pieds deux Pourtant je ne suis pas boiteux C'est tu trop C'est tu trop peu Repondez pour l'amour de Dieu J'en ai assez d'etre seul chez-moi C a creve le coeur et puis le foie J'eloigne les chiens J'effraie les chats J'fais peur aux petits enfants Je ne fume que du bon tabac J'aime les souris, j'hais les rats A deux ou trois Ou quatre pattes Vilains ou bien aristocrates Cinq deux, cinq trois Oeil de verre, jambe de bois Militaire Debonnaire Mais surtout du savoir faire
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorThat's the author up there ... I was young and sprightly then. Archives
October 2022
|