After a morning of sweeping up wet cigarette butts in front of the Anchor Pub (a band last night) and my other janitorial duties, I decided it was a good time to come into the office, dry out, and tell a story. It's all true and happened back in February while I was cleaning the Anchor floor one morning, alone.

While starring actual live birds , the show did not involve violating any animal rights - the birds volunteered for the job. Furthermore the actors were actually outside, thereby not violating any health regulations. Here's the story:

As with many acts, its a lot about the stage. It was a pewter gray February day - although quite bright ( to a Puget Sounder anyway). The stage was framed by the large window at the Anchor which faces toward the railroad tracks, which are only twenty five feet away. From the audience perspective (mine, standing up) the tracks are exactly at eye level. The curved shiny surface of the rail was near the same color as the sky.

Now the show - "NOW STARRING - ROCK PIGEONS" (or Rock Doves as usta be known). Three pigeons landed on the tracks between the rails. Conceivably these birds are the model of the 'bobble-head' dolls sold in many knicknack , shops. I've always thought it amusing watching them bobble along some downtown sidewalk. So here were three of them bobbling along between the tracks, occasionally stooping down to pick up some thing from the ground. From my perspective it turned out that a railroad rail is just the height of a pigeon neck. The birds were about the same pewter gray as the sky light and the shiny rail tops.

It was a comedy of perfect illusion - as the pigeons bobbled along it appeared that their heads were bouncing along the tracks, disembodied. As they dipped down to grab something their heads would disappear and then pop up farther down the track, bouncing along. It got even better as they would change direction after dipping down - and the heads would be bouncing the other way in a hilarious visual syncopation. It was simply the funniest bird sighting I've ever had. The birds kept it up quite a while but I had to turn away after a bit - I was laughing too much. And of course, I did have a floor to mop.

Months later I watched some pigeons out there in the same setting but the magic was gone, the light not right, the pigeons of different color. If I was 5 inches shorter It would'nt have even have happened the first time- you had to have been there. I guess this is my verbal 'You Tube' , as best I can do.

Jeff Gibson
mopping the floor at
The Anchor Pub
1001 Hewitt Ave
Everett Wa