Pat Bean's blog

Tic-Yock-Tick-Tock

About eight years ago, my then 13-year-old grandson Tony, gave me a kooky clock, one with a brightly-colored bird representing each hour. On the hour, the clock chimed with a representation of that bird’s voice.

In order from 1 o’clock, the birds were Mallard (quack-quack), Mourning Dove (coo-coo), Ring-Necked Pheasant (kok-cack), American Woodcock (chirp-chirp), Northern Bobwhite (bob-white, bob-white), Canada Goose (honk-a-lonk), California Quail (chi-ca-go), Ruffed Grouse (cluck-cluck), Wood Duck (oo-eek, oo-eek), Wilson’s Snipe (wheet-wheet), Green-Winged Teal (krick-krack), and Wild Turkey (gobble, gobble).

At first, all was well. Each bird sounded out on its hour – or so I thought, Then I realized that while a bird sounded on each hour, it was never the right bird according to the pictures on the clock.

After a while of this, the bird sounds began to resemble no bird sounds I had ever heard. It was a cacophony of rumble, grumbles and even low roars – well except for the voice of the Bob White, which while not on the right hour always comes out a clear bob-white, bob-white.

When I have visitors and the clock grackles and roars, the guest always jump and ask “What was that?”

My granddaughter Shanna and her wife Dawn, who are frequent visitors and always trying to look out for me, finally said they were going to buy me a new clock.

“No!” I firmly told them. “I have a one-of-a-kind-of-a-clock that fits my eclectic apartment and lifestyle. It fits me – and it keeps perfect time. It’s not broken, it’s just odd – and odd is OK!”

I love my clock.

Pat Bean is a retired award-winning journalist who lives in Tucson with her canine companion, Scamp. She is a wondering-wanderer, avid reader, enthusiastic birder, Lonely Planet Community Pathfinder, Story Circle Network board member, author of Travels with Maggie available on Amazon (Free on Kindle Unlimited), and is always searching for life’s silver lining.