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Having spent part of my life in the City of New York, I developed an unkind view of pigeons. I used to refer to them as rats with feathers. I’ve changed over the years, although I’m careful where I walk in town since they love to sit on windowsills and roof edges and drop bombs on unsuspecting passersby. Never look up. At one time I would laugh at Tom Lehrer’s song “Poisoning Pigeons in the Park.” The newer version of me doesn’t laugh about it anymore. (Still, it is kind of funny in a twisted sort of way.)
While cutting through the Gardens of the Merced the other day, I passed a man (with a wonderful visage, I thought) who had clearly made friends with the pigeons in the park — and one jackdaw. I wouldn’t do it for so many reasons but it clearly made the man, and the pigeons, happy.
Yesterday for lunch San Geraldo served our leftover burrito filling over a bed of nacho chips. What a treat (the last of its kind at our house). I passed a new, cool-looking Mexican restaurant the other day when out walking. We’ll have to try it. Now if I could only remember where it was. Not really a problem, though, I know which street it was on and just have to track it down again. It is so new, it doesn’t yet appear on Google Maps.
We’ll have a break in the heat for the next five days or so. Today is only supposed to reach 39C/102F. Saturday and Sunday should be a downright balmy 35C/95C. Connor and Maureen are on their way from Fuengirola for the afternoon. I hope they have sweaters.
Tras haber vivido parte de mi vida en Nueva York, desarrollé una visión hostil de las palomas. Solía llamarlas ratas con plumas. He cambiado con los años, aunque tengo cuidado por dónde camino en la ciudad, ya que les encanta posarse en los alféizares y los bordes de los tejados y lanzar bombas a los transeúntes desprevenidos. Nunca mires hacia arriba. Hubo un tiempo en que me reía de la canción de Tom Lehrer, “Envenenando palomas en el parque”. Ahora ya no me río de ella. (Aun así, tiene su gracia, de una forma retorcida).. He cambiado con los años, aunque tengo cuidado por dónde camino en la ciudad, ya que les encanta posarse en los alféizares y los bordes de los tejados y lanzar bombas a los transeúntes desprevenidos. Nunca mires hacia arriba. Hubo un tiempo en que me reía de la canción de Tom Lehrer, “Poisoning Pigeons in the Park” (Envenenando palomas en el parque). Ahora ya no me río de ella. (Aun así, tiene su gracia, aunque sea un poco retorcida).
El otro día, mientras cruzaba los Jardines de la Merced, me crucé con un hombre (con un rostro maravilloso, pensé) que claramente se había hecho amigo de las palomas del parque, y de una grajilla. Yo no lo haría por muchas razones, pero sin duda hacía felices tanto al hombre como a las palomas.
Ayer para el almuerzo, San Geraldo nos sirvió el relleno recalentado de nuestro burrito sobrante sobre una cama de nachos. ¡Qué delicia! (la última vez que lo probamos en casa). El otro día, mientras paseaba, pasé por un restaurante mexicano nuevo y con muy buena pinta. Tendremos que probarlo. Ahora, si tan solo pudiera recordar dónde estaba. En realidad no es problema, sé en qué calle estaba y solo tengo que volver a buscarlo. Es tan nuevo que aún no aparece en Google Maps.
Tendremos un respiro del calor durante los próximos cinco días más o menos. Hoy solo se espera que alcance los 39 °C/102 °F. El sábado y el domingo deberían ser unos agradables 35 °C/95 °F. Connor y Maureen vienen de Fuengirola para pasar la tarde. Espero que lleven suéteres.
• Una grajilla solitaria esperando su turno.
• Un avistamiento emocionante para nosotros, una paloma de madera no hecha de madera.
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Tom Leher was brilliant! My favorite is “The Vatican Rag.”
Anon:
I, too, love the Vatican Rag.
I am not a fan of pigeons myself for the reasons you listed. And I have thought that they are like rats with wings. Glad you got to savor some of the last bit of burritos!
Michael:
I find myself reacting more positively lately to pigeons, simply because there are some beauties. But I still hate the mess they make and it really is dangerous to walk down some narrow streets with them sitting overhead.
So true. I am not a fan of walking underneath pigeons!
Carlos likes to feed the squirrels in the yard and I call them Furry Tailed Rats!!
Our heat spell has several more days until we get a break … feels like temperatures of 100! Oy.
Bob:
I used to feel the same way about squirrels.
We’re only supposed to hit 92 today! Whoo-hoo! Cold wave.
Okay. I have never heard that song. “It’s against no religion to destroy a pigeon…”
The Buddhists might have something to say about that.
So, I’m thinking “Feed the Birds” from Mary Poppins isn’t your favorite song? I bet the pigeons that man is feeding are the main living creatures he interacts with all day. Or maybe not! He could just really like birds!
And now I must go feed the crows.
Mary Moon:
Yep, we’re also grateful for 92. Yeah, I thought about the Buddhists, too. I guess he couldn’t think for a rhyme for “except Buddhism.” Mary Poppins was around the time I had developed my dislike of pigeons (we had been living in Brooklyn maybe a year), so I remember being a bit creeped out by that.
A friend and I visited a new-to-us Mexican restaurant when I spend a couple of days with her recently. Real Mexican food, not Tex-Mex.
Kelly:
I’m not a fan of Tex-Mex in general.
I like pigeons. Gowing up, we had a lot of them visiting our yard. We had a family friend who raised them. I never could figure out why they were so maligned by so many people. Then again, I also like rats. The pet ones, not the Willard ones!
Deedles:
I like pet rats, too. But oh the diseases the pigeons and rats in the cities carry! I had a lab rat in college (psych conditioning and learning). I aced the course and loved my rate, Feiffer. Got to keep him as a pet.
I am – and always will be – with Tom Lehrer on this. They do carry more diseases than rats, and unlike rats, they shit everywhere! Horrible creatures. Jx
Jon:
I would not be handling them! And, yeah, they do carry disease but I think rats are still worse. As for the shit, it’s disgusting.
That man feeding the pigeons kind of looks like the late Howard Cosell.
Kirk:
It’s the resting face expression.
There’s a level in Super Mario Bros 3, where the sun ☀️ literally tries to kill you
That’s this summer 🥵
Adam
Nekorandom.com
Adam:
And it’s succeeding!
I’ve always had a soft spot for pigeons as they are smart, highly adaptive urban wildlife. However, when their populations grow too fast, they can become problematic disease vectors like rats, mice or trash pandas.
Environment Canada is predicting a heat dome here for the next 4 or 5 days. Temps are predicted to be as high as 40 C/105 F when humidity is factored in… thank Jeebus I have A/C!
Tundra Bunny:
Wow! 40C for you is awful. Unusual that you have air-conditioning. What a relief that is.
We have a large bird feeder with a suet cake holder outside our dining room window, and love to watch the avian activity every afternoon during dinner. Wrens, jays, starlings, woodpeckers, finches, mourning doves. Once in a while, we see game pigeons; a neighbor a few blocks away raised racing pigeons that left the flock and just pop in for some seed. Gorgeous birds!
Rade,
That would be fun. We had feeders in Connecticut and loved it. I miss that.
Wow, you replied to a comment I haven’t made yet! Mind reading?
No pigeons around here.
Ellen,
Oops. That was meant for Rade!
I look at squirrels in the same light as you do pigeons……..all rodents in my mind.
‘Exsighting’…..check!!
Jim,
They do make a mess and gave great potential to spread disease.
Pretty birds. I had never heard that song.
David,
Tom Lehrer was very clever.
Lehrer was creepy and unfunny.
It’s years since I saw pigeons. We don’t seem to have them. Here we complain about squirrels.
I immediately recognized the title’s origin!
Urspo:
It was odd that the song came to mind when I saw the guy feeding the pigeons.