It's For the Birds

This picture was taken during the summer of 1956 when we took Elaine's folks, Verlon, Tim and Carolyn and drove our new Pontiac station wagon to California. We visited many places including the San Juan Mission at Capistrano where the Swallows return every year on March 19 (St. Joseph's Day). The open court-yard was filled with the birds shown in the picture. Small packets of seeds were sold for tourist to feed them. It was the first time our youngsters had an opportunity to be that close to birds of this size. We had read the story of the Swallows 6,000 mile annual migration from Argentina which made this a very special event. For 57 years we have thought of this picture and our memory of these beautiful white birds when we heard of their "return". Only by coincidence, I said something at coffee last week about having been to Capistrano and seeing the birds. Unfortunately, I mentioned they were white and about the size of a Pigeon. I have always prided myself in associating with people who are more knowledgeable than I am. Though he had never visited the Mission, one of my knowledgeable friends knows birds well enough and showed sufficient evidence to convince me that these white birds are not the American Cliff Swallows that visit the Mission at Capistrano. I wonder how many other things that I thought I knew or believed for years are not correct. We have heard of being dumb and happy but I appreciate being corrected and will still enjoy the picture for what it is, not what I thought it was.