Sunday rerun. A post from the summer about my affinity for the bird that many love to hate.

Sky Blue and Black is pretty much my favorite Jackson Browne song. I think it's a master piece, but only this weekend did it dawn on me as to what might be the real reason. An opening line in the song goes like this "In the sound of the waves and the cries of the seagulls circling the sand". Jackson included the seagull in his prose, the pigeon of the sea. The animal kingdom's answer to the garbage man. The flying raccoon capable of eating anything and everything. They are a nuisance to some, and the bane of every beach sitting, snack eating family everywhere. I was working in my yard last week when something caught my eye and caused me to look skyward. Although my home is in the country and surrounded by woods, I'm not too far from the lake as the seagull flies, so it shouldn't have been such a surprise to me to see the familiar seagull shape, flying high above headed right for the water. I realized it then and I'm telling you now, I love seagulls.

I realized there's nothing that reminds me more of the lake that the cry of a seagull, or the shape of their all too familiar silhouette against the sky. In fact, if I had to identify it, I'd say that the sound of the click clacking guide wire against a sail boat mast, combined with the somewhat excitable cry of a seagull would most remind me of the lake sounds that reached through my childhood bedroom window. Seagulls are synonomous with lake living, and if you really think about, once you get past fish, no living thing is more closing intertwined with the water than the mighty seagull.

Sunday morning, my brother from Riverside was in town, and we went out for a boat ride. I brought along my camera, and told my brother that neither sailboats nor scenery were on the photographic menu for the morning, rather we were out hunting for seagulls. Big ones. Small ones. Flying ones. Resting ones. One legged feathered friends sitting on piers choking down rock bass. We were on the lookout for the simplistic seagull. He didn't like that idea, and went on to tell me about how he hated them. He went on about it, but I wasn't really paying attention, since by now my eyes were scanning the horizon for my Sunday bird of choice.

We found several, and it didn't take long. They were resting on piers, flying over head, standing on many a canvas boat top, soiling said top during their visit. We found plenty of them, though never in Hitchcockian numbers, and I couldn't help but think that these were the luckiest seagulls in the world. If you really think about it, what could be better? These spoiled symbols of the sea get to hang out on Geneva Lake. Sitting on piers and resting in million dollar front lawns. They get to mess up the covers over some of the finest boats ever crafted, all the while living in the sublime surroundings that is the Lake Geneva area.

They must send their relatives post cards and just gloat. "Hey Jim, just thought you'd enjoy a shot of me eating a beautiful little perch this morning, Hope all's well with you" Meanwhile, Jim might be relegated to a city dump, the Chain O'Lakes, or even an obscure lake in Michigan. While these Lake Geneva snots get to eat plump crayfish and clean little rock bass, cousin Jim might have to pick through plastic bags in hopes of finding a palatable morsel. Yes, these Lake Geneva seagulls have it made in the shade, and I'm pretty sure they know it. You can tell by the sounds they make. Not at all haunting, and not a bit sorrowful. More like ornithological cries of pure pleasure, for they know they're living a privileged life on beautiful Lake Geneva.

Next time you see a seagull in Lake Geneva, stop and acknowledge it. Give it a little wink and a knowing nod, just so he knows you're aware of how lucky he really is. If you should run into a seagull anywhere but Lake Geneva, do him a favor and throw him a scrap of food. Lord knows it's been a long time since he's visited his cousins in Lake Geneva, and like anyone who hasn't been to Lake Geneva for a while, he deserves a little pick me up.