For a time, I came out to this pier, if for no other reason to just observe, to listen the sounds of it, to smell it, to hear the language of the folks who visit. It's the calm of the water, I think, that kept me coming, and I always have a camera. What follows are some of the things I captured by coming out to this same Tacoma pier week after week.
Some people come to the pier with a simple goal, a task.
They have a destination or they're looking for something. In this case there was something underneath that was alive. I don't know what and I didn't investigate further, mostly because I didn't want to hang off the side of the pier anymore.
When Jen arrived, the pigeons did not respond to her like they did to other folks who fed them. Because of her presence they were more friendly even with me. So, I had to ask her why that was the case. This is what she told me...
She told me how she had been helping them by, not just feeding them, but untangling them from leftover fishing line that remained on the pier. They actively get their feet tangled, lose circulation, and eventually limbs. She pointed to one that was hopping around on a stump. Of all my time coming out there, I had not really paid much attention to the pigeons.
Here you can see her with string in her hand, removing it and possibly rescuing a pigeon in the process
She walked the entire pier, determined to remove certain hazards made of different kinds of string and twine.
But to help living things you need to make them feel safe. So, she feeds them. Then they allow themselves to be untangled
I personally hadn't noticed how differently some pigeons act from one another, at least on the pier.
Some are loners and don't want to be bothered
Others are looking for attention, if you get what I'm saying
For the first few months, I hadn't noticed the nest underneath the pier, but it makes sense. Hey, y'all, they make that good love!
Some people will arrive absolutely alone and ready.
No matter how calm and quiet it can be...
And no matter how purposely alone they seem...
They're all about business: crab, squid, etc
Because I'm a mere observer to pier culture (because there is a culture), I think little things are so odd. Like, how?
What is that? No, really, what is that?
Fishing is like surfing or photography. You do it when it's time, no matter how early or late. No matter how foggy or dreary or rainy. I was there in all the conditions.
