By: Chris Parker
After 2 hours in crowds of Christmas shoppers I was ready for a drink or at least a little peace and quiet. On the way home I decided I would go by the McBride and District Library, pick up a movie and a book or three and have a low key evening at home. What I discovered at the Library was “for the birds.”
Upon entering the library I heard laughing, smelled popcorn, and saw several children with gooey fingers. The children were sitting around a table smearing peanut butter on pine cones and toilet paper tubes, some were rolling the peanut butter covered items in bird seed, and the head librarian was hot gluing ribbons on them so that they could be hung from trees to feed the birds this winter. The children were chattering like magpies and having a grand time “making dinner for the birds.”
Several ‘grown ups’ were there – stringing cranberries and popcorn overseeing the children’s endeavours. The room was organized chaos, filled with laughter, smiles, peanut butter goo, and happiness. I stood back and watched in awe as the kids created the masterpieces for the birds while the adults kept up a conversation on the antics of the local birds. The birds, it seems, partook of the leftover crab apples and as a consequence got drunk on the fermented fruit.
“The birds are hilarious to watch walking around in circles before falling over, only to get up and do it again.”
I thought back to the crowds I had just faced trying to get more of their Christmas shopping done. I looked again around the room and decided I would much rather be here. These children weren’t worried about finding the perfect gift, Santa would take care of that; they were using their imaginations and creating something fun and useful.
“We don’t need to go shopping, this is for the birds.”
