The Laughs Were on Me

Comedy Time – the laughs were on me (click to enlarge)

As you can tell by the elongated shadows under their bills, it was close to noon when we paddled past these seagulls, standing on a rocky point at low tide. The sun was high in the sky, and fittingly, the birds appeared to be in high humour.

Like stand-ups at a comedy festival, they seemed to single me out for special abuse. I can imagine the dialogue that ensued:

“Look at that goofy human! Would you check out her gawdy plumage? Yuck, tone it down a bit, lady!” (I regularly wear a red life jacket, bright blue spray skirt, orange windbreaker, and my kayak is a brilliant turquoise. For safety’s sake, I aim to be visible on the water. But the gulls seemed to find this logic hilarious.)

“And look at all the work she’s going to, swinging that big stick around, up and down, just to drag herself along at the speed of a limpet! Hasn’t anyone ever told her about energy efficiency?”

Yes indeed, we ponderous humans with our strange ways must provide great fodder for the comedians in the rest of the animal world.  Laugh on, friends!