Vultures
This bird--who I'm gonna call Nelson because I feel less scared if he has a name--was hovering four feet from me when I took this picture. He was hovering because I was eating chicken on the outdoor patio at my grandmother's hospital.
When I took a break from the bustle of the hospital room (and, man, when you put a lot of concerned people in one room there is A LOT of bustle) and headed down to the basement level where the food service promised me "healthy choices", I chose to eat outside where I figured I could use my cell phone.
See, hospitals have a no-cell-phone rule because they say it interferes with medical equipment. But how does using my phone on the patio outside interfere less? Are there waves just going through the hospital to get to my phone?
Anyway, I joined the other cell-phone-using hospital employees on the patio and they warned me about Nelson.
"He really loves chicken so be careful."
"And he isn't shy. Make sure you keep an eye on your food. He'll grab it as soon as you look away."
"We're pretty sure he's in the vulture family."
So, I sat down, nonplussed, I mean, please, a bird? I'm from Chicago. Birds don't scare me.
Then he approached. Slowly creeping down the fence, keeping his eyes narrowed on my chicken. He moved from the fence to the table next to me. I shifted the food to the left. He hunkered down and moved back to the fence. I shifted my food to the right. And then he started staring at me.
I could hear the Jaws music in my head. So I snapped several pictures, finished up my cell phoning, and quickly proceeded indoors.
Some of us, We're hardly ever here
The rest of us, we're born to disappear
How do I stop myself from
Being just a number
How will I hold my head
To keep from going under
Down to the wire
I wanted water but
I'll walk through the fire
If this is what it takes
To take me even higher
Then I'll come through
Like I do
When the world keeps
Testing me, testing me, testing me
How did they find me here
What do they want from me
All of these vultures hiding
Right outside my door
I hear them whisperin
They're tryin to ride it out
Cause they've never gone this long
Without a kill before
Wheels up
I got to leave this evening
Can't seem to shake these vultures
Off of my trail
Power is made, by power being taken
So I keep on running
To protect my situation
Comments
Nevermore! Nevermore!
Oh wait, that was a raven. Whatever, they're all freaky: Poe, Nevermore, and Nelson. And I bet all three would take a swipe at your chicken.
Posted by: heather anne | October 15, 2006 1:22 AM
i totally knew that song was about a vulture.
also, his red beady eyes gave me nightmares.
Posted by: heather nicole | October 15, 2006 8:51 AM
Golly, when you artistically set him against the blue backdrop, he looks like a runway model - just another cocaine addict (or bulimic) model.
Perhaps we should embrace the little bugger and feed him CAKE!
Posted by: Sally McGrath | October 15, 2006 9:05 AM
he does have that mischevous look.
Posted by: treespotter | October 15, 2006 9:53 AM
That bird's got devil eyes!
Posted by: Emily | October 15, 2006 12:18 PM
I bet 'dat crazy bird wanted your credit card.
Posted by: Brian Fellow | October 15, 2006 1:33 PM
Pure Evil.
But who knows, behind the scary look is a pigeon ?
Posted by: Aakanksha | October 15, 2006 2:39 PM
or a penguin?
Posted by: heather anne | October 16, 2006 5:19 AM
or a penguin.
Posted by: Aakanksha | October 16, 2006 8:11 AM
It's really about the legs and feet, isn't it? Those are the scary parts.
Posted by: sally | October 16, 2006 8:14 AM
Yeah, that and those red eyes!
Posted by: heather anne | October 16, 2006 11:25 AM
Yeah, but if someone could take the top part of Nelson, cut and paste to a Penguin body, I bet he's look friendlier with webbed feet and a squatty body.
Posted by: Sally | October 16, 2006 2:09 PM
I bet "he'd" look friendlier too!
Posted by: Sally | October 16, 2006 2:10 PM
I think this is a call for Emily, the photoshop expert.
Posted by: Aakanksha | October 16, 2006 11:18 PM