1.10.2008

Birdy, Birdy in the sky.. why'd you do that in my eye?


Larry Downing / Reuters
Pictures of the Week- Time Magazine


HOLY COW! Okay, this was one of Time magazine's pictures of the week. It is the Alico building in Waco, Texas with hoards of Common Grackles filling up the sky. The backstory IS that when we were in college at Baylor University in Waco, Texas, these black birds filled the sky around this time of year. It was downright creepy, folks. On the tops of buildings, crowding on electric lines, cawing from trees; these stinking birds were always around from December to April. Suddenly the sky darkened the above you and, when that happened, you had best run. Or else you were going to get bird dookie on your head.

It happened! To friends of mine. Very traumatizing- especially to a 19 year old girl walking next to that cute guy from her Bio class (really happened to a friend) .

Anywhoos, when I was in the dorm freshman year, I awoke quite abruptly on a January morning to, what sounded like, bombs dropping. And this was mere months after 9/11 so there was a little panic. In actuality it was the grounds keepers setting off firecrackers in trees to scare the birds away. However, c'mon... we were mere yards away and it was only like 9:30- aka the crack of dawn to a college student. Those pesky birds.

Anyways, my friend Jen (see "The Sonntags" under my bloggy friends) found this picture and emailed it to me and I thought I'd share the real life version of "The Birds" with you.


I sure am glad that cows can't fly...

14 comments:

dukeanderin said...

i actually refused to go eat at ninfas in january, february, and march for this very reason....SICK BIRDS


they also made VERY strange noises that i prefer to never ever hear again

Olson Family said...

and even weirder...my comment just posted under the name "duke"...must be the birds!!!

Obsessive Foodie or Food Addict....You Decide said...

hmm interesting. I lived in San Antonio for 2 years and never once saw a bird...no birds at all...birdless...completely. No wonder they call it WACO...HELLO, wake up and smell the lithium. Maybe it is the 2nd coming of David Koresh. No birds in San Antone, nosirreeee bob. weirdos.

Obsessive Foodie or Food Addict....You Decide said...

get it....waco=wacko
duh, old joke

Obsessive Foodie or Food Addict....You Decide said...

My husband did get pooped on by a seagull at Niagra Falls....

Lora said...

Do you remember who taught you that lovely poem. A mother's wisdom passed on to the innocent daughter. I still remember your comment and laughter when I recited it to you.

Lindsey said...

that's something i don't miss about college.

Brooke & Freeland said...

Out of control. Free & I used to drive through the target parking lot where they were all sitting (in masses) just to drive through them so they would fly all over the place.. it probably freaked other people out. Never thought about that.

Anonymous said...

you is so funny. can i use your word "bird dookie" on my blog?

Anonymous said...

I actually had the waco bird poop experience myself...while walking the bear trail no less. Typical Baylor girl! We also thought that the fake owl that our apt. complex hung in the tree outside our window was because we were Chi-O's. Ummmm....yeah.

Anonymous said...

Great blog. I enjoy your writing so much. I don't like birds in those numbers. We are so proud of Adam. Enjoy your weekend. Love you both.

Bobby

Anonymous said...

I have a bird phobia going back to Alfred Hitchcock.... this picture is what I sometimes see in nightmares....Good grief! If they remake the movie they need to do it in Wacky Waco during those months.

Kevin said...

we actually talked about bird phobias on my latest show - we hit and run on phobias.

Peter said...

It's our turn up north to host the grackles now!

http://longmontian.blogspot.com/2008/03/springtime-in-longmont-grackles-have.html

Although, we don't get 'em in the big concentrations that you do