I whole heartedly agree with Mark's analysis of the forums.
The new forum code should improve things soon - and it is structured
*very* differently.
So, as in response for the request for irreverent topics, Mark, please
tell me this.
As a squirrel lover myself, I often find that if I try to feed them a part
of my lunch, I get invaded by pigeons, who always spoil the party. (I
love animals, but pigeons can not be classified as such)? How can
this be avoided. (without the use of an air-rifle, I don’t hate them that
much&hellip😉
-Russ
Ah this old chestnut, a thorny problem that has confounded squirrel
lovers and pigeon haters for years, nay, decades.
It's funny this should come up now. For just yesterday would you
BELIEVE it but I could be found (NB there may be certain elements of
untruth in this paragraph) browsing through the indispensible read
that is "Hastings Latest News"
[described as..."A weekly updated selection of Hastings' news items
on current affairs, personal enterprise and interesting events. Hastings
is not just history and candyfloss. It is a fast-regenerating town with a
lively cultural, commercial and community life. Read all about it here!"]
Lo and behold I stumble on the plight on one Mr. Bernard Raynor, a
third-generation Trafalgar Square pigeon feeder [to quote one
source "his family has sold corn kernel pigeon feed under Nelson's
watchful eye since 1946"].
Bernard finds himself out of a job thanks solely to the Mayor of
London's not entirely loving view of pigeons...
"People come from around the world to be crapped on by pigeons,"
said Mayor Livingstone, "We are getting rid of the man who sells the
pigeon feed." and who went on to describe them as "flying vermin,
rats with wings, but without the intelligence".
It has been widely reported that the mayor went on to proclain
squirrels as arguably the most wonderful mammal to have ever graced
God's good earth, though this has not yet been confirmed.
So Russ, what I suggest is contacting Bernard and asking if he'd be
kind enough to accompany you to the scene of any attempted squirrel
feeding, and, should the pigeons swoop and descend as unwelcomely
as ever, ask Bernard to lure them away from you, thus freeing you to
interact and talk and feed to the squirrels as the Lord our God
intended. As a man who seems to take great delight in being covered
from head to toe in pigeons (Bernard now, not God) I should imagine
he would be only to delighted to do as you ask.
I can see little or no flaw in this in that no pigeons are harmed by any
air-rifley business, the pigeons actually get fed by a fully-trained
pigeon feeder, Bernard gets to do what he does best, and you and the
squirrels can share lunch.
Let me know how you get on.
Mark
The Squirrel Lover
PS *Big* thanks to the following websites:-
http://www.hastings.uk.net/latest/archives2001/110201/birdman11020
1.html
http://abcnews.go.com/sections/world/DailyNews/london001019.html
