Wednesday 8 February 2012

Today Is Also..


...fluffy post day.

I have decreed it so.

For the purposes of this particular Fluffy Post, let me set the scene:

The smokers' balcony at work is three stories above ground level. There is nary a tree in sight. Well - one potted fica over there in the corner, but no, like, actual trees.

The balcony is tiled,runs around the inside of a courtyard, and open mostly to the air - which means that we get wet when it rains and bake in summer, but we don't get to see much of anything natural, unless you count the birds.

Most mornings, I set aside the last of my breakfast, usually rooibos-and-rye sandwiches with cheese and tomato (and please, don't upbraid me on such a voluminous breakfast. My body knows what it needs, which is a huge breakfast, a lighter lunch and no supper at all) to crumble and scatter on the balcony, always in a set place, for the littler birds to come share.

So, this usually means Sparrows - sometimes Minahs - have come to recognise me and will stop what they're doing at about 7 o'clock to feast on bread and cheese together.

I've been doing this for a couple of years, and what is absolutely delightful is that the Sparrows -actually, one Sparrow in particular - will, maybe 3 or four times a year, leave something behind in the place where I shared my food with them. Quite often, it's a feather. This morning, as has happened only twice before, it was a leaf.

A dried, brown, Pin Oak leaf which comes from 3 floors down  and right around the other side of the building, for the closest specimen.

My little, fluffy, brown-and-grey friend was perched, at 8 in the morning, on the railing above my head, yelling at me as only a Sparrow can, until I walked over and picked up the anomalously-positioned leaf.
And thanked him. Whereupon he shut up and flew away again.

3 comments:

  1. Way cool, thanks! Just the kind of post to lift my spirits this decidedly fuzzy day :)
    i do have a small question though:
    please describe how you make rooibos-and-rye sandwiches?
    The bread is rooibos-and-rye?
    New concept for me ;-)
    peace

    ReplyDelete
  2. It's store-bought, David.
    I had a go at making bread, but t mostly turned out very dense!
    This is Albany's Rooibos-and-Rye. It's quite delicious, even though I'm not a huge Rooibos tea fan.
    It's also better for me, as it's not made of wheat.
    Love,
    T in J

    ReplyDelete
  3. I have something to look for then, i like the old cape fruit bread from the same company.

    Wife has also gone off wheat, so there's a nice option, thanks!!!

    peace

    ReplyDelete