Feeding the Gulls

"Feeding the Gulls" Painting by Alton R. Lowe

Sometimes the simplest activities in life give us the most satisfaction. One of those activities was feeding the gulls in front of our family home on lazy afternoons. I can fondly remember my father and his sister tearing up old pieces of bread and throwing them to the Laughing Gulls, which were so numerous in the summer on Green Turtle Cay. This painting shows them surrounded by the gulls eagerly awaiting their treat.

These gulls were a rowdy and noisy bunch. A few pieces of bread would set them squawking. They would wheel in the air, dive down to the water, and grab as much as they could before another gull beat them to it. My sister and I continued the practice when we were on the cay for many years. I would like to think that there is another generation coming forward to carry on the tradition. The gulls keep returning each summer to the island. May they always find friends with bread! - Alton