THE MEAL TICKET

THE MEAL TICKET

FLOCK OF GULLS WAITING ON THE ICE

 

Thursday, 9:15 AM.  27 degrees F at the ferry dock, 22 on the back porch.  Wind WNW, light with strong gusts.  The sky is cloudy and overcast, the humidity 77%.  The barometer is rising, currently at 29.75".  The forecast is for more of the same weather, with heavy snow next Monday and Tuesday and much colder temperatures thereafter.  We are paying now for our long, beautiful fall.

   There was a large flock of seagulls resting on the ice of Bayfield harbor yesterday afternoon, and I couldn't help wondering why they would all lie with their bellies on such a cold, frozen surface.  It certainly is not as pleasant a place to rest as on a nearby park bench or the hotel roof, even though they are not perching birds.  In fact, one would think they faced the danger of being frozen in place on the ice, or at least getting uncomfortably cold.

   Then I noticed one of the nearby fishing tugs with smoke coming from its stack.  It was probably just keeping the cabin warm until they left for the fishing grounds very early the  next morning, but these birds regularly follow the fishing boats to eat the fish heads and guts as they are being cleaned, and I will theorize that they didn't want to let their meal ticket  leave without them.