Sometimes I feel sorry for the people in my life that show any amount of interest in birds and birding. I tend to pounce on them at once and envelop them with my enthusiasm whether they like it or not. Kind of like the ol'
Loony Toon's Abominable Snowman. I'm certain that it turns some people off. But other times that passion takes root and becomes a tree sharing its own fruit with others. I should be on the Christmas card lists for Eagle Optics and Sibley Guides for all of their products I have sold to the poor innocent people in my life that I have enlightened (or ruined) with birding.
Jason Talbot and I served together as adult advisers to a church group of young men and Boy Scouts when we lived in Idaho. As
I
live the mantra of "Always be birding", Jason, being an avid outdoors man, quickly displayed interest in the birds I was pointing out. I couldn't help myself. I pounced. Although he had had the sickness as a child, the antibodies in his immune system were not sufficiently strong to combat the strain of birding disease that I was spreading. The illness took hold of him immediately.
Anyway, I have since moved to Utah, but Jason's renewed passion for birding has carried on and we still stay in touch. He has seen several species of birds that I have yet to see. Jason writes for the website UplandIdaho.com and he recently wrote about his birding adventures over the last couple of years. He shares several tales of birding with me and even one in which his eldest daughter pranked us. Jason oozes birding enthusiasm in his writing which I encourage you to check out here:
http://tinyurl.com/82spfk8
Thanks for sharing this Robert, I loved reading what Jason wrote.
ReplyDeleteI should be on the Christmas card list for Nikon !
So true. I don't realize sometimes that with my excitement, I A. Get others interested or B. Irritate them. So I go alone and always meet wonderful birders on the trails and that's a lot of fun....although some are really weird, but I always learn something new:) Fun post.
ReplyDeleteI can share the feeling of dread I have sometimes after the fact when I think I went overboard with my birding energy. I also meet lots of great birders on the trails as well, part of why Birding Is Fun - the people too.
ReplyDeleteRobert, That is hilarious! I find myself doing the same thing! If someone just mentions birds or asks me a question, I find myself wanting to share everything I know about birds! I will go check out your friends site!!
ReplyDeleteAt times it can be very difficult to contain all that enthusiasm. I think I must have wonderful friends and relatives, as they allow me to babble on and on about my birding experiences. Fun post, Robert! I must have a look at Jason's website.
ReplyDelete