I thought about going on an educational tirade on the origins of the symbolism used for the holiday that is today - Easter - and how the meanings of the symbols have been lost over the years, as we have turned from a society, community, etc., tied to nature and the Earth to one that loves technology and the almighty currency - be it dollar, Euro or yen - to the detriment of the most important tenet in life - love thy neighbor as thyself. All the symbols come from ancient pagan religions, and have been - subjugated is not the right word, but only what comes to mind - borrowed for want of something more in line with what I really want to say by the newer religions.
However, instead I will focus on my thoughts about mating rituals and long-term relationship building and a few other tidbits gleaned from the birdwalk I participated in at Heritage Oak Winery yesterday.
In bird life, the females are the drab ones and the males are the colorful ones. The males are the ones that primp and preen and compete for a female's attention. They also help in the house hunting - whether looking at bird boxes or looking for another suitable nesting area - last year's bluebirds reminded me of human house-hunting, going from property to property, until she finds just the right one - I could even imagine the hen-pecked male asking just what was really wrong with birdbox A only to be told it was too close to those darned tree swallows and you just KNOW what they're like! This year, we watched a few Brewer's blackbirds go through their ritual - I wrote this up in yesterday's poem, complete with pictures. Too funny!
Some birds, particularly the raptors and larger water fowl, mate for life. They are constantly attentive to their relationship, doing everything together, even sharing the responsibilities of next-building, egg-incubating, and fledgling-feeding through the breeding season. You won't find a male red-tailed hawk off playing golf with his buddies or down at the bar while the little lady stays and home with the brood of chicks to tend too! He might just find himself mate-less next season if he pulled a stunt like that. Once they are mated, they become each other's best friends and constant companions. Just step outside and watch them as they soar and swoop this time of year, in perfect tandem at times - why can't we humans be more like that?
And on a lighter note, I watched a lot of Merry Melodies and other assorted cartoons when I was younger. One depicted the California quail as constantly blowing its drooping top feathers out of it's face. Well, hearing them yesterday, I see where the artist got the inspiration for that sound/image combination. And then there's Woody Woodpecker's memorable laugh...the call of an acorn woodpecker was the inspiration for that I bet!
So, y'all enjoy the painted Easter eggs, the chocolate rabbits (especially the ears!), and most importantly the gathering of family at whatever your traditional meal of the day is...I think we're having ham!
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