Someone got funky on the river. My wife and I were kayaking the Ninnescah, way back in a remote place where it felt like few had visited. We were looking for wildlife when Chris spotted something unusual sitting on a low catalpa limb well out over the water. It was a pair of plastic lovebirds someone had dressed in bright colors and wired substantially in place just an inch apart.
Had the fake birds stood out like a flashing sign, the intrigue would have been lessened. Their obscurity was what made this odd anomaly so bizarre in an otherwise natural setting. You almost missed them – but once spotted, they required detailed inspection.
They were actually below the high water mark, so despite their criss-crossed wire attachment to the limb, it’s pretty sure they had been there only since the last flood. Also, the wires hadn’t cut into the growing tissue, meaning they roosted during this growing season. Even so, their gaudy garb was quite weathered.
Interesting joke. Whoever did it got wet and spent some time putting it in place. They also had a command of subtlety. So we saw, stopped to look, and entered it as a landmark in our mental GPSs. From now on, we’ll always look for the lovebirds when we pass their remote location.
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