duck ladies

About a month ago I got into the habit of taking our dog, Lola, for a walk in the nearby Vondelpark (think mini Central Park) around 6PM every night.  Of course, it didn't take long for her to commit this to memory and rouse me from whatever I am doing to keep with this schedule.  Well, on these walks I always feed the ducks.  I used to feed them from time to time, and now I feed them every night.  We are pretty friendly now.  Along the way I have "adopted" a few families - and I guess I have become a little possessive as a result.  Because...

Tonight while making the usual rounds I was shocked to find someone else feeding MY birds.  Nile Geese to be exact.  Having lugged 2 loaves of bread to the park, I decided to sit on a nearby bench and wait until the nice, older woman had exhausted all of her seed.  But then I got impatient... this woman had bags and bags of bird seed.  She was pulling it out of every pocket of her Chicos ensemble!  I'm not sure how public park bird feeding etiquette goes, but I am pretty sure that I crossed a line next.  I sidled on over to the excitement and started throwing my bread out in the midst of her crumbs.  I was back with my birds and I was happy (though I couldn't actually make eye contact with the woman).  And then, the greatest thing happened... she smiled at me, and I smiled back, and the most fantastic conversation took place.

It turns out that we both feed the birds every night.  It also turns out that we have mutual favorites!  We traded information about "who" had how many babies this spring, approximately how many loaves of bread we go through each week on our walks, and pondered what could have happened to some of the ducks that we no longer see anymore.  She told me the species names in Dutch, and I filled in some gaps in English.  And instead of feeling some petty jealousy about sharing the ducks - we both turned out surprised and relieved that there is someone else in the Vondelpark - sharing the same obsession.