HUNGRY GERALD

Canada Day weekend came and went on Prince Edward Island and the isle was bedecked gaily with colorful maple leaf flags. The celebration emphasizes pride without bombast (typical modest Canadian attitude). Many special events featured PEI food and music. HG/BSK were beguiled by a CBC radio broadcast. Listeners were asked about their most interesting encounters during the year with Canadian birds, animals and fish. A recent Jamaican emigrant talked about seeing a snapping turtle crossing a highway. He didn’t know the turtle was dangerous until it snapped its mighty jaws. The Jamaican/Canadian was concerned the turtle would wander on the highway and be crushed. Avoiding danger and after considerable effort, he pushed the turtle to a safe spot. He commented: “In Jamaica we have gentle turtles. We eat them.” On Vancouver Island, a woman and her family went to a beach to scatter (as was his wish) the ashes of her recently deceased father. They were met by a colorful male humming bird who sat on her shoulder and chirped softly as she scattered the ashes. The beauty of the bird brought her to tears. From her garden deck, another woman watched a flock of Canadian geese flying gracefully and trailed by a majestic bald eagle. Suddenly, the eagle snatched a laggard goose out of the sky and carried it to parts unknown. The woman was astonished by the eagle’s strength since the goose and the eagle were (approximately) the same size. In Newfoundland, hikers spotted a caribou on a hilltop. The caribou did a grateful, ballet-like pirouette as he/she sniffed the air to locate the human intruders. In suburban Toronto, a woman was disturbed by the raccoons who dropped nightly their toxic poop on her terrace. A neighbor gave her a tip. Leave a large bowl of water on the terrace. Raccoons will not poop where they eat or drink. It worked. No poop. The method was tested. Removed the water bowl overnight. The result: A poop-o-rama. Back to the water bowl and a spotless terrace. In northern Ontario, a young fisher spotted a pike. The pike leapt out of the water and bit the boy on the knee. Drew blood. The boy managed to net the fish and the pike was served for dinner. A righteous revenge. HG/BSK’s animal encounters have been few. A handsome red fox with an abundant tail wandered down HG/BSK’s road a few weeks ago. And, since clover has become abundant on HG/BSK’s lawns, Snowshoe Hares, with their distinctive markings (brown with snow white feet) have been making an appearance. Toby, The Wonder Dog, gives chase but the hares manage to avoid him.