Well, seeing a male Scarlet Tanger in a small lilac bush about 10 feet
away. I was about 12 years old at the time: back in ancient Egyptian
days. . Every Sunday we had to go to church. The mass was in Latin and
the sermon in Polish. Neither of which I understood. What I did
understand was having to kneel on wooden kneelers for about an hour.
Sheer torture. And we had to kneel straight of else our Sunday school
teacher would give us a rap over the ears with a switch.

I found it much more desirable to go down to the Milwaukee River and
look at the birds. My brother just older than me was supposed to see
that I walked the straight and narrow, but he was in a different class.
I'd watch the church steeple clock, and
when I'd figure services were over, sneak back to the church in a
roundabout way, and ask my friends who was the priest that had services.
My brother smelled a rat but couldn't pin anything on me.

When I saw the beautiful Scarlet Tanger before, I became a hardened
criminal. Right then and there I had ambitions to be a wildlife
biologist or at least a forester. I was a b-a-a-a-d boy. I never
regetted it. It was a case of kneeling on rough, wooden kneelers for a
long time on my prayer bones or enjoying the solitude of the woods
finding more Scarlet Tanagers. I have a painting of the the bird perched
on a lilac bush which a friend painted for me. . Once again, I really
was a b-a-a-d boy.who later led a hardened criminal life being a
wildlife biologist.But I think the Good Lord understood.

Ye Olde (80)Broken Down (Yep) Wildlife Biologist
Gene Kridler, Squirm-er- Sequim, WA
ekridler at olympus.net