While I was clearing and weeding and digging and pruning in the garden a week or so ago, I found this feather. It is a distinctive bright greeny-tourqoise and probably belongs to one of the Eastern Rosellas that frequent our tall tanekaha and miro trees at the front of the section.I noticed it had some dried sap, possibly the cause of it being parted from its owner.
GB took some wonderful pics of them which show they feed on the fruit up there.
Later that day, a soft grey feather had landed on the newly-swept drive; maybe from the escaped dove that has recently begun visiting.
And finally, I'm almost certain that the tatty dark blue one (at the top in the image below) is from a tui; possibly the one that woke GB up in the morning at some ungodly hour.
Wow. You are always so observant and thoughtful. I would look at the feathers and say how lovely they are and might ask or speculate on the type of their original bearer. But I would never have the imagination to make the connections you've drawn. Note to self: think!
ReplyDeleteI should, of course, have added that as you are always looking at the Hows and the Whys and the Whats that was only to be expected. I only ever used Kipling's serving men in exams or when doing uni essays!
ReplyDeleteAnother lovely post :) When I was getting married there was a veil for sale embroidered with feathers and I loved it, but it was terribly expensive. The woman in the shop said, "there's nothing wrong with being modest, nobody seems to see it like that these day, they all want the most expensive of everything". I didn't buy it, and she didn't get the money (from me), but I've though well of her ever since.
ReplyDeleteGeeb; it was nice to meditatively clear and weed and dig and prune, so I expect I had some 'thunk' to spare that day :-)
ReplyDeleteEmily; I feel the same way about shop-people who give you directions to other shops when you can't find what you want in theirs. A purely altruistic act for which they theoretically cannot (financially) benefit.
I bet the veil was gorgeous.