Part of what makes places fun is the people that frequent them, and the
stories and legends about them. Stewart and his feathered friend Poof
are rather famous among the regulars at the Wakodahatchee Wetlands, and
many have their own fun stories about Poof's antics.
Many of the people I've chatted with have asked me if I've met Stewart and Poof, and
now I can finally reply that I have. Stewart is fun to chat with, and
it's fun to watch Poof sneak off down the rail while you talk to
Stewart. People walk up and stop dead in their tracks staring at Poof
while she happily poses. Stewart stated Poof's posing succinctly: "She's
a ham; she loves to pose for the cameras."
I watched her tug off Stewarts glasses and play with his hat; she
seemed slightly jealous that he was talking to other people.
Poof acted a bit like a two-year-old child who believes that Stewart is her playground.
Stewart's skin must be really strong, because his parrot has some serous
claws and the only time I saw him flinch was when Poof dug into his back
a bit while climbing the back of his chair:
One of the things we discussed was photography between the rails. The
wetland we met at had more space than some, but it could still be wider.
Our society tends to foolproof as much as possible, and the narrow gaps
between the rails make it safer for tiny kids, but there needs to be a
balance between the personal responsibility of people and parents, and
the needs of those who want to see and/or photograph through the gaps in
the rails. Is there a cost effective method of meeting both needs?
There's a class project for you; how do you design something so that
everyone can benefit from it? When you design something to be safe, does
that limit other features? How does a society set the balance between
the two? Can you design a child safe boardwalk edge that Stewart would
get a better view from and find it easier to take pictures from?
Stewart, it was a pleasure meeting you. Thank you for letting me
photograph you and Poof, and for giving me permission to post the photos
here. Send me an email if you'd like anything on this page changed.
