Tonight's photo: Lorikeet. Taken a few weeks back.There is every possibility that if it weren't for the New York Mets, I would not be here writing this. OK, maybe that's a bit of dramatic licence but it does sort of grab your attention and who knows, you may go on to read the rest of the post then buy a "naughty wizards" costume from Amazon.
I was attacked in the street - and saved by a New York Mets cap.
To be precise I was struck on the head by a low flying object - a lorikeet.
I was walking along the street on a typically humid Sydney February afternoon, when a kamikaze lorikeet came flying out from beneath an arched entrance to a block of apartments. Something must have startled or frightened him and he decided to shoot through like a Bondi tram - without a thought of where he was going or anything in his way. A bit like Sydney drivers in a way, but a lot cuter and smarter.
He struck the side of my head, leaving me startled to say the least - which is not surprising the speed he was going.
Luckily a few years ago my old friend Jenny from New York, sent me a New York Mets cap. When walking I alternate between that and a St Louis Cardinals cap. I swear to God that when shopkeepers see me wearing one of my caps and a camera bag slung over my shoulder, they quickly put their prices up!
The cap absorbed much of the impact - not just for me but for the poor little bugger as well. He fell to the ground looking as bewildered as George Bush at a press conference. I kept an eye on him for a while as he walked around trying to work out what the hell had happened, but before long, the little chap was back in the air again.
Lorikeets are very friendly and like humans. I just happened to meet either a daft one, or the only anti-American lorikeet in Sydney. No doubt certain radio stations here would be quick to suggest it was a specially trained lorikeet that had been lying low for the past three years, until being activated by his fanatical, towel-headed masters back home - in Luton.
I can hear it now - "Would he have struck if the victim had been wearing a turban? That's what I would like to know. I know the answer and so do you don't you listeners. My word, yes."
So thank you Jenny, and thank you New York Mets!
Wherever you may be - be safe!
