I've got a pigeon.

[claireducky]

So.  The farm we live on for years was used as a homing pigeon breeding facility.  Apparently at one point it was THE top pigeon stud in the U.S.  The previous two owners both bred pigeons and such.  When the last owner died a few years ago, his widow sold the birds and the property. 

 

Homing pigeons were once used to carry messages and the like, sometimes traveling over 1000 miles.  They primarily are used in races now.  We've heard stories from the neighbors about the big races they would host here each year.  Breeders would send their birds here to be raised (because birds return to where they hatched/were raised).  Then they'd come out here, take their birds some distance off, and set them all loose.  Then they'd come back here, booze it up, and make cash bets over which bird would arrive back here first.  Apparently some of the purses for these races can get quite exorbitant, like cars, boats, and I even read of a recent race in another country with a 1 million dollar purse!  One neighbor told us about a year where the previous owner hired the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders to come out and mingle with the guests!

 

So about a week and a half ago, we had several rounds of storms come through.  The next day while we were cleaning up some roof damage to one of the old pigeon barns, we saw a pigeon!  He or she has not left since then so we assume this bird was raised here and somehow got loose from their current owner.

 

We can't catch it, so I've set an old pigeon feeder and some water out for him in the shade up off the ground next to one of the barns.  I'm currently trying to figure out how to catch it so we can read the band on his leg and find it's owner. 

 

Here are some pictures:

 

 

What a weird summer this has been...

 

 

[Elgee]

That's one good looking bird!

 

I wonder if the poor thing is getting lonely.

[cosmicpanda]

It has a duck to keep it company.

[Dwynwen]

Aww, what a cute pigeon!  Maybe you can train it to run Tower errands for you.  ;)

[Zashara]

It has a duck to keep it company.

 

ROFL. Win comment.

[Crystal Tipps]

That's one good looking bird!

 

I wonder if the poor thing is getting lonely.

 

It really is one good looking bird!

 

Claire maybe you should set up the first pigeon dating service... you'll have the lady pigeons queuing up for that one  :D

[Verbal32]

I'm currently trying to figure out how to catch it so we can read the band on his leg and find it's owner. 

 

Set up a stool for it.

 

*looks around*

 

Get it?  Get it?  A stool pigeon?  Clever, huh?  I know.  I'm so witty.

 

*wonders where everybody went*

 

And what is that chirping sound!!!  >:(

[claireducky]

The puns!  I can't handle it!

 

*eye bleach*

 

/what has been seen cannot be unseen

[Sakaea]

It has a duck to keep it company.

 

ROFL. Win comment.

 

LOL, win comment of the year (so far).

Very pretty pigeon. Have you named him?

[MashiraSedai]

Oh! Such a pretty pigeon!  :D

[claireducky]

It has a duck to keep it company.

 

ROFL. Win comment.

 

LOL, win comment of the year (so far).

Very pretty pigeon. Have you named him?

 

His name is Petey.