If you don't know what book I'm on about, see previous post .... ..the thing is, I noticed for the first time that there is scarcely a single "other person" in the entire book. Naturally, I investigated ... OK ... now, can you spot the "other person" in this short passage ? Yes !! There's a "mystery hand" most likely belonging to " somebody else" in there. Wowsers !!!! Let's see if there's any more in this next bit ... you should now be scouring it for that elusive " other person" ... maybe even "persons" in this case .... Yes, that owl was staring at "us" ... implying there were in fact some others besides " The Millington". Hen's Teeth or what ! Another slide please Susan ..... the "other person" in this one is a bit more "vague" ..... Yes, it's "the elusive ringer" this time ... OK ..last chance saloon .... one more vague reference to the existence of another person actually existing in "The Millingtonian Frame of Reference" as we have learned to call it. Oh yes, that "we" speaks volumes to the "person-starved" reader. It is truly " manna from heaven." Not only that ... those " accounts of the Sardinian Warbler" must have come from somebody ... cripes. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Now, dear readers .... I can't do everything. I've scoured the blasted book for those "other people" with no further success ... can you find some more ? THE WORLD NEEDS TO KNOW. The thing is, there's lots of other birding books that are crammed with people. Millikins, apart from a brief mention in the introduction, doesn't name even one of the finders of all these rarities, nor does he name the grapeviners who pass on this information, nor his presumed travelling companions ... it is all very lonely. In sharp contrast to Pete Dunne's various books, Stuart Winter's books, the brilliant but rare " "British Birding 1984", The Big Bird Race, Kingbird Highway and many more in the same vein. ...and Ted even includes a picture of all his mates ... beautifully drawn by Bill Morton. That's The Way To Do It ! I suggest this new field of research should be called "Bird-Spotter-Spotting" Yes, it could get a bit recursive, but I don't care. And here's a totally unrelated song for you " Nobody Else Will Be There." You said "we're not so tied together" What did you mean? Meet me in the stairwell in a second For a glass of gin Nobody else will be there then Nobody else will be there Nobody else will be there then Nobody else will be there Can you remind me the building you live in I'm on my way It's getting cold again but New York's gorgeous It's a subway day Nobody else will be there then Nobody else will be there Nobody else will be there then Nobody else will be there Why are we still out here? Holding our coats We look like children Goodbyes always take us half an hour Can't we just go home? Hey baby, where were you back then? When I needed your hand I thought that when I stuck my neck out I'd get you out of your shell My faith is sick and my skin is thin as ever I need you alone Goodbyes always take us half an hour Can't we just go home? Nobody else will be there then Nobody else will be there Nobody else will be there then Nobody else will be there.
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AuthorThat's the author up there ... I was young and sprightly then. Archives
October 2022
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