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December 28, 2006
Postal Pigeons
The other day I was thinking about how nice it is to see the birds line up on our power lines. They look like clothes pins teetering in the breeze.
I like how they shift and coo. They’re lovely.
Did you know that at one point in history pigeons were postal workers? Well, at least a breed known as the “Homing Pigeon”. Anyway, people would put messages on thin paper, tie it to their little ankles, and send them off. Supposedly Egyptians and Persians were the first to discover their amazing talent. Nobody knows the reason for their traveling precision, but there have been several theories; some say they use the magnetic fields of the earth to guide them while others attribute their ability to a keen sense of manmade landmarks. As I write this, I can’t help but wish people still sent messages like that. If one comes a-tapping on my widow tomorrow morning I’ll weep with joy, pet its iridescent feathers, and give it seeds for the journey back. What a wild world we live in.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homing_pigeon
| By Heidi V. | 04:58 PM
Comments
...and maybe a "gift" from the birdie breakfast on your widowsill. ha ha
God's creation is amazing! What detail!
Posted by: Tanya at January 2, 2007 12:56 AM