Saturday, October 13, 2012
Angela - Grade 11
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
My Dad and the Hummingbird
My Dad and the Hummingbird
Back in about 1979, I was living in Vanderhoof, B.C. – Rick Hooper and I were sharing/renting a house from Rick’s Parents. The house was on about 4000 acres of land they owned. We were having a great time, working hard, drinking a lot and buying more ammunition than groceries each week.
After a long and damn cold winter, my Dad came up in May or June for a visit. He rode up with Don and Karen Charlton. They stayed for only a few days, but many legends were made during that visit. (Some of which I may tell you about later) My Dad and Rick’s Dad hit it off and they were like peas & carrots right away. They were going all over the countryside having a great time together. I think they were both glad to be hanging out with someone roughly their same age and a little alcohol may have been involved too.
Anyway, about the hummingbird - My Dad used to keep pet birds. He really liked them and he had quite a few over the years in the 1960’s – singing canaries mostly – until he had an accident with a pair of finches; he put them beside a window and draped the curtains over their cage, to give them some fresh air. After a while the Sun came around and they died in the hot Oliver, B.C. Summer Sun. Dad felt badly about this and he never kept any pet birds after that.
Hummingbirds used to come in the house in Vanderhoof. They couldn’t find their way out and would buzz up against the windows like a big bug. I would put my finger under them and they would sit there looking at me and huffing and puffing because they were very tired from buzzing on the window. If I walked away to take the hummingbird out the door, they would always fly off my finger back to the window. To take the little birds outside to set them free, I would have to catch them “cupped” with both hands, then go outside and let them go.
One of these hummingbirds came in while my Dad was visiting, so I showed him how they would rest on my finger. Then Dad tried this and sure enough, the little bird just sat there with its little chest heaving, staring at my Dad. Dad looked at me and smiled just a little. Then the hummingbird flew back onto the window and started buzzing around again. I told Dad to catch the hummingbird in his cupped hands; which he did. Dad then slowly walked outside and opened his hands to let the bird go. But it didn’t fly away – it just laid there, on its side, looking at my Dad. Dad brought his hand closer to have a good look at the colourful little hummingbird.
The hummingbird stayed on my Dad’s for 5 or 6 seconds, with the bird and my Dad looking each other in the eye from about a foot away from each other. Then it took off – buzzing away so quickly that it was out of sight in about a second. Dad turned around, look at me and he had the biggest smile I had ever seen. His face was just beaming when he said to me, “I liked that.” I’m certain my Dad felt some redemption for those little finches that fried in the Sun all those years ago. I was only happy to see my Father, who I loved more than any other man, so happy about freeing that little hummingbird.
This simple story is for you and my family – so you will know a little about my Father. There are none alive now, but me, who will remember this. If I don’t write this down, it’s gone forever. Think about this. . . what stories should you write about?
Back in about 1979, I was living in Vanderhoof, B.C. – Rick Hooper and I were sharing/renting a house from Rick’s Parents. The house was on about 4000 acres of land they owned. We were having a great time, working hard, drinking a lot and buying more ammunition than groceries each week.
After a long and damn cold winter, my Dad came up in May or June for a visit. He rode up with Don and Karen Charlton. They stayed for only a few days, but many legends were made during that visit. (Some of which I may tell you about later) My Dad and Rick’s Dad hit it off and they were like peas & carrots right away. They were going all over the countryside having a great time together. I think they were both glad to be hanging out with someone roughly their same age and a little alcohol may have been involved too.
Anyway, about the hummingbird - My Dad used to keep pet birds. He really liked them and he had quite a few over the years in the 1960’s – singing canaries mostly – until he had an accident with a pair of finches; he put them beside a window and draped the curtains over their cage, to give them some fresh air. After a while the Sun came around and they died in the hot Oliver, B.C. Summer Sun. Dad felt badly about this and he never kept any pet birds after that.
Hummingbirds used to come in the house in Vanderhoof. They couldn’t find their way out and would buzz up against the windows like a big bug. I would put my finger under them and they would sit there looking at me and huffing and puffing because they were very tired from buzzing on the window. If I walked away to take the hummingbird out the door, they would always fly off my finger back to the window. To take the little birds outside to set them free, I would have to catch them “cupped” with both hands, then go outside and let them go.
One of these hummingbirds came in while my Dad was visiting, so I showed him how they would rest on my finger. Then Dad tried this and sure enough, the little bird just sat there with its little chest heaving, staring at my Dad. Dad looked at me and smiled just a little. Then the hummingbird flew back onto the window and started buzzing around again. I told Dad to catch the hummingbird in his cupped hands; which he did. Dad then slowly walked outside and opened his hands to let the bird go. But it didn’t fly away – it just laid there, on its side, looking at my Dad. Dad brought his hand closer to have a good look at the colourful little hummingbird.
The hummingbird stayed on my Dad’s for 5 or 6 seconds, with the bird and my Dad looking each other in the eye from about a foot away from each other. Then it took off – buzzing away so quickly that it was out of sight in about a second. Dad turned around, look at me and he had the biggest smile I had ever seen. His face was just beaming when he said to me, “I liked that.” I’m certain my Dad felt some redemption for those little finches that fried in the Sun all those years ago. I was only happy to see my Father, who I loved more than any other man, so happy about freeing that little hummingbird.
This simple story is for you and my family – so you will know a little about my Father. There are none alive now, but me, who will remember this. If I don’t write this down, it’s gone forever. Think about this. . . what stories should you write about?
Saturday, September 01, 2012
Poulin Family Vacation 2012
In August 2012, we drove down the Washington, Oregon and Northern California Coast. This is the slide show I made - turn your sound up.
Poulin Family Vacation 2012
Poulin Family Vacation 2012
Saturday, June 16, 2012
Happy Birthday Alan
Slide show of my Brother Alan - we miss him always. Watch in full screen and turn your sound up. Why The Rolling Stones? Because Alan was a bodyguard at the Stones concert in Vancouver, B.C. in 1972. (He had some good stories about this too).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jhi5mjfmJDw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jhi5mjfmJDw
Saturday, February 25, 2012
Sunday, January 29, 2012
Pantry Re-Done
What a nasty job this was! But we had the most disorganized pantry in the known Universe. First three photos are "before" and last five photos are "after" - now we just have to keep it clean.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)