Gull, Gull, Gull

The first time I ever really noticed a gull standing on one leg was when my son and I were touring Alcatraz Prison in San Francisco Bay, which is actually a bird sanctuary where, much to my surprise, you're prohibited from feeding anything that flies, creeps or crawls. What is it with that anyway? Once, when I contemplated feeding critters near the Jefferson Memorial in Washington DC, I was gently directed to read a nearby sign which practically threatened me with arrest if I so much as threw a peanut to a squirrel.

Anyway, I was all worried that the poor gull was sick or had been crippled in some grim accident, which my son found funny -- not the accident, but me worrying about the bird. He wasn't the least bit surprised when the gull put the other foot down. I came to find out that gulls, like many birds, are just resting and maybe even keeping alternate legs warm for a while.

I used to live in a house closer to the water than I am now and I had a faithful flock of gulls who came to expect a rich and varied selection of treats -- bread scraps, peanuts, kitty food, popcorn. I miss them very much but I'm sure they've moved on to greener pastures and are surviving just fine without me. Sigh.........