The “Little Things” That Change Our Lives

I’ve been blogging for over six years now and many of my favorite posts are so old that few (if any) current blog followers have ever seen them. Besides, I had very few readers back then so I was largely speaking to a nonexistent audience. For that reason I occasionally recycle one of those older posts and hope that current followers might enjoy it. This is one of them, originally published almost six years ago. I’ve rewritten much of the text and even tried to improve the ancient images by reprocessing them.

 

I recently received an email from blog follower Ingrid Taylar that has caused me to pause for some serious reflection. Ingrid had noticed in one of my posts my mention of the fact that I had raised pigeons as a youngster in southern California. She loves pigeons and when she and her husband rescued and fostered two homing pigeons, “Chauncey and Clive”, they became deeply attached to them. In her email Ingrid asked me if I “retain any similar affections for pigeons” left over from my childhood.

Do I ever! When I think back on just how much those few years with my pigeons changed my life for the better I’m simply astounded.

 

me-dennis-and-pigeons

Photo taken on the patio of our home in Poway, CA in about 1960

When I was in 6th grade and living in Poway, California my friend Dennis Ehlert (on the right in the photo, that’s me on the left) introduced me to the joys of raising pigeons. Notice my filthy jeans at the knees – the explanation for that will be forthcoming…

We each kept a variety of breeds – Homers, Tumblers, Rollers, Fantails, Tipplers, Helmets and others.

 

 

me-and-pigeon-coop

Photo taken in the back yard of the Poway home in about 1959

This is the pigeon coop I built from scrap lumber and chicken wire at age 12 in 1959. At that age I wasn’t much of an architect so in an effort to save wall space for nest boxes the entrance door was tiny and low (it can be seen at lower left) and I had to crawl in the dirt on my hands and knees to enter the coop. Needless to say, my mother was constantly patching and mending the knees of my jeans…

I spent countless hours in that coop with my pigeons – caring for them, watching their behaviors and reading and then re-reading the book you see in my hand – “The Pigeon”, by Wendell Mitchell Levi. It was a huge book, presented in a scientific (for its day) and mature manner but I devoured it again and again as I sat in the coop and watched the behavior of my pigeons.

My parents supported and even nurtured my pigeon obsession, largely for a reason I found out about from my mother many years later – it (mostly) “kept me out of trouble”. When we moved back to Montana in 1961 they even allowed me to bring most of my pigeons and I built a new, larger and fancier coop – the pigeon coop of my dreams.

It was with my pigeons that my interest in animal behavior germinated. Most days I would spend hours inside that coop with my birds, learning the nuances of their behavior and the very real personality quirks of each bird. It was with my pigeons that I became what I call a “watcher” (that word always reminds me of the book and movie “Never Cry Wolf”) – someone who revels in the tiny details of the natural world that are most often missed by others.

That interest in nature and science began to grow in high school and truly blossomed in college where I had the dual majors of Biology and Zoology. Then after college I spent the next 33 years of my life teaching those subjects in high school and enjoyed it immensely. And my “pigeon legacy” didn’t end there – since retirement over 13 years ago my passion has been bird photography and avian behaviors.

So, what do I owe to my pigeons? – only 58 years of personal and professional joy and satisfaction. Perhaps that sounds a little dramatic but I’m convinced it’s true. I often wonder what my life would have been like if Dennis hadn’t introduced me to pigeons almost six decades ago.

Yes Ingrid, I certainly do retain my affections for pigeons!

Ron

Note: Thanks to Mia’s diligent efforts the technical issues with our blogs have finally been resolved so there should be no more problems on your end. I’ve been badmouthing Comcast for the problems but it turned out to be something else so I thought I’d own up to my error (although Comcast certainly has had other shortcomings their feet should be held to the fire for…)

 

40 Comments

  1. I too enjoyed the book by Farley Mowat in my college years – 70 – 74. It transformed my view of how the natural world works. In that day many things were being questioned. Nice to read about your roots, thanks for the look back.

  2. I am also a relative newby, but have enjoyed your posts for a while and follow the blog when I have time though I rarely write a reply. This one about your childhood and the pigeons rather deeply touched me. It is inspiring to know how the small beginnings influenced your life. I am happy you had such a good friend and family and I am grateful you share so much with us followers–your photos, your stories, information and all. I am so glad my friend from Maine told me about you and your blog. It lifts my daily life.

  3. Strange thing? One of the first bird encounters I had was with a pair of pigeons given to my sister and I. That got me started on a long journey of bird love. I also have a relative who was an avid bird watcher/naturalist (still is). His love of birds rubbed off on me. He was a professor of botany at the University of Texas who studied grass (grin…not the illegal in some states kind). He also went on these trips to Mexico (Chihuahua area I believe) where he participated in bird counts.

  4. Since I’m somewhat of a “newbie” I wanted to let you know how much I really enjoyed the pigeon story! What a wonderful childhood you had. And the encouragement from your parents is something I would have benefited from.

  5. Great story, enjoyed it very much. I’m wondering if you stayed in touch with your friend Dennis?

  6. Thank you for this back post.
    The small things are HUGE in my world.
    I am endlessly grateful that growing up we always shared out lives with dogs, cats, birds, fish, turtles….

  7. I’m a strong believer that animals have a profound effect on our lives. I know that my cat helped me to survive my childhood, and as a young child I somehow developed a deep love for Eastern Cottontails. My interest in, and connection to, nature has literally been lifelong, and shows no signs of abating. So I’m not at all surprised by your story about your pigeons. I’m glad your parents supported your interest in pigeons. And I think that once we have a connection with animals or other living things, our interests in them continue to grow. Those connections are always deeply rewarding.

  8. This is a very cool post, thank you!
    We have, last total count, 47 pigeons (Rock Pigeon) come to clean up the dropped or removed seed from our hanging feeders that goldfinch, chickadee, House Finch and others pull out of the feeders.
    I admire anyone who at a young age found a good honest interest, stuck with it, and learned as much as they could about it.
    Thanks for sharing.

    • “I admire anyone who at a young age found a good honest interest, stuck with it, and learned as much as they could about it”

      I appreciate that compliment, Dick. Thank you.

  9. Thanks for the link—I’ve never seen that kind of flight. Is it thought to be some kind of display ? Do both males and females do it ? AND–HURRAY FOR PUBLIC LIBRARIES !!!!

  10. Fascinating, as Mr. Spock would say (of Star Trek fame). I love learning the background of what brings a person to their hobby. I’m also glad to finally read your blog after several days of failed connections.

  11. I am not familiar with all the different kinds of pigeons. I like to watch birds and common city dweller pigeons are in my area and I think the colors of them are spectacular. I know people consider them as pests but I admire them for their ability to adapt to the humans as many birds and other wild life do as well.

  12. What a wonderful story Ron!
    Charlotte

  13. Your post has sweetness and thank you for sharing the memory of you and your pigeons! Just wonderful…

    From one of your admiring fans, another watcher…

  14. My husband started with roller pigions when he was 12…given to him by his father. He became a master falconer in his late 30s and is now retired. He does educational programs during the summer and hunts during the winter months. It is getting harder for him to hunt during out northern New York winters, and recently realized that he may have to stop although. Last fall he became friends with a gentleman that has over a hundred pigions and purchased 6 from him to get him started for the summer! All three pair are sitting on eggs!

  15. PS. I’ve always liked pigeons, too…ever since a wayward homer, we name “Walter”, came to live on top of our barn and scrounge chicken feed. I love watching a flock of them, in perfect synchronicity, suddenly take off and swoop around several times (in an “exercise flight ?)t then, just as suddenly, land and settle down again as if nothing ever happened….

    • I love to watch them fly too. I would exercise my birds daily and being pigeons they always returned to the coop.

      I kept three breeds, Tipplers, Tumblers and Rollers, just for the joy of watching them fly. Rollers and Tumblers do backward somersaults in flight and Tipplers are bred for endurance flying – up to 22 hours nonstop.

      Here’s a clip of Rollers in action if you’re interested. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k7LtUEpb6OA

  16. It’s stories and blogs like these that are keeping me going. Thank you. The line that stands out most clearly, and that I identify most, with is, “someone who revels in the tiny details of the natural world that are most missed by others”. I, too, have been a watcher..but, .especially of ants, bees,spiders, pollywogs and frogs. One of the things I treasure most about your blogs, are the “tiny details” you and your viewrs point out. So thank you all…

  17. Amazing and wonderful! If only every kid had a passion like yours!

  18. Great story Ron. I am glad you and Dennis got interested in pigeons and that it helped to shape your passion for wildlife in the years that followed. Do you still stay in touch with Dennis?

    • Ed, I haven’t seen Dennis for many years but I did see him once as an adult a few decades ago. We’re actually shirt-tail relatives (cousins of cousins). I’ve seen his younger brother Rick a few times over the years and we’re Facebook friends. I actually sent Rick a link to this post a few minutes ago.

  19. Thank you Ron. Birds and bird love have changed me and my life. Diana

  20. How wonderful that your parents encouraged and nurtured your interest in the birds–I’m guessing that they might have given you that big book ( would have been quite expensive for an adolescent to
    afford and not too easy to locate, either ). What a fine path they helped you to take for the rest of your life !

    • Ok, I’m going to confess something here, Kris. That book was actually a library book. I’d keep it as long as I could and then return it and check it out again as soon as they’d let me (I felt lost without it in-between checkouts). I did that for many, many months and I remember being indignant one time when someone else had the unmitigated gall to check it out so it wasn’t available to me.

      Eventually I kept it far past the due date and had to pay a very large fine when I returned it. I learned a lesson on that one because the fine came out of my allowance!

  21. Cool! 🙂 Thx for sharing. One never does know what is really going to engross and change us. 🙂 CA and MT are MUCH different places yet pigeons are the same.

    • “CA and MT are MUCH different places”

      They sure are, Judy! For much of the year it was so damned cold in MT that I wasn’t able to spend much time in the coop with my birds. That was a huge disappointment.

  22. Thank you for sharing this part of your life with us, Ron. I appreciate the insight into your fascination with avian behaviors and photography. 🙂

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