Meeting up with teacher friends on Tuesday reminded me of our friend Phil’s school assembly story about penguins…
As I recall, it was a long and convoluted story, that Phil swears was true, that ends with Antarctic scientists in a helicopter surrounded by penguins. The penguins watch as the helicopter takes off… the helicopter gets higher… the penguins keep watching… they all fall over backwards.
The moral of the story, ‘Don’t copy each other like penguins, otherwise you’ll fall over,’ was sometimes lost in Phil’s penguin impersonations – that increased the story’s entertainment value to both staff and children.
When I returned home yesterday lunch-time there were no small birds on our bird-feeders. The usual pigeons were wandering about aimlessly beneath them. One pigeon wasn’t wandering; it was busy… It wasn’t a pigeon but a sparrow-hawk, enjoying its lunch-time sparrow – giving ‘bird-feeder’ a very different meaning!
This summer we’ve enjoyed watching a number of mother birds feeding their babies – including dunnocks and several blackbird families. Our favourites are the woodpeckers, who teach their offspring to feed both from the peanut feeder, and by pecking into the apple tree. The youngsters learn by watching their parents.
Today it’s UK election day and US Independence Day. In his 1961 inaugural address President Kennedy said:
‘Ask not what your country can do for you — ask what you can do for your country… With a good conscience our only sure reward, with history the final judge of our deeds, let us go forth to lead the land we love, asking His blessing and His help, but knowing that here on earth God’s work must truly be our own.’
Musing… three different sorts of people… and politicians(?)… Stupid penguins who copy each other and fall over… Opportunist sparrow hawks who make the most of the situation – whatever the cost to others… Caring woodpeckers who look after their young and teach by setting a good example – perhaps reflecting JFK’s notion of selfless service… and where JFK’s God fits into this…
malcolmsmusings.org 
We have a sparrow hawk who shows up in our garden occasionally. It’s amazing how quiet the neighborhood gets when he’s around. All the birds stop singing at the same time. Evil sometimes has an opportunity, so let’s make ourselves scarce when it does. A pastor friend used to say, “If you don’t want someone to get your goat, 🐐 then don’t let them know where you have it tied. “
How my musings fit with your post, I do not know, but here I go. 🤗
Blessings, Malcolm.
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Yes, David – our garden empties of the smaller birds when the sparrow hawk is around. I have seen one in our garden before with a pigeon that he tried to carry away with him but it was too heavy! It certainly is a good picture of the opportunist and the self-centred…
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That’s a funny penguin story, Malcolm. Thanks for bringing forward JFK’s words. Happy Election Day!
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Before this morning, Wynne, I had only heard the ‘ask now what you country can do for you….’ quote, I hadn’t read how good the whole speech is. These days I can’t imagine politicians using that sort of meaningful rhetoric – let alone be committed to carry it through!
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Malcolm, I’ll not be like the penguin. Bird-feeder—definitely a different meaning in that pic! JFK’s quote sums up my feelings, too. Happy Election Day! Many blessings to you and yours!
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Thank you for your kind words, Karla. I fear for the political situation here; our friends across the Channel in France are in equally challenging times, and the reports that we hear of the forthcoming election in the US suggest potential difficulties however things turn out.
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You’re welcome, Malcolm. It’s turbulent, my friend. 🙏🏻 I trust in my ultimate authority~hate has been building for years~and decency?…I don’t know if that exists.
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