Tuesday, August 25, 2015

a lesson from the seagulls


August was a month of large and small tribulations, and I'm not sad to see it end. The very least of these, and the only one that is slightly funny, inspired a short series of etegami at a time when my desire to paint had completely dried up.

I've been spending a lot of time at a small house on the northwestern coast of Hokkaido, where almost all the windows face the sea. I came back one day to find every one of them covered with excrement that could only have come from the droves of seagulls that glide past just inches from the house when the fishing boats are in our area.

I haven't recovered enough energy to do anything about the windows, but I sure am glad I recovered my urge to paint. Thank you, seagulls. You guys are okay.

6 comments:

  1. It does require a lot of wisdom to be at peace with so many seagulls as here with pigeons... :-)
    So glad they inspired you.

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  2. that's called using God's gift...both yours and the seagulls'

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  3. You're amazing, Debbie! And -- I have to say it... You captured the color really well (the color of the gulls, too!) :-D

    On a more serious note, I'm hoping September will be kinder to you.

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  4. When life gives you lemons, make lemonade. When seagulls give you guano, make etegami masterpieces of Humor. I will remember this when I get hit with... excrement.

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  5. These made me smile! There's a lot of controversy over seagulls in the Uk at the minute, people complaining about them being aggressive when they're only taking adbantage of our scraps to feed their young

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