I couldn’t help myself with this one.
Bobby Turly – aka Main Beach’s “Parrot Guy” – tells droves of tourists and other passers-by that they’re welcome to gaze at his colorful collection of parrots – on one condition.
“The only charge,” he beams repeatedly, “is leaving with a smile.”
And indeed, group by group, they smile – a family from Canada, another from Kentucky, some from as far away as France.
How sweet, of course that is until
It’s been only two weeks since a hawk swooped down and violently killed Banana as Turly was wrapping up his demonstrations for the afternoon. While still a bit sheepish about the extent of his grief, he admits he’s far from over losing what he called “one of his children.”…
“I saw it swoop in, and it was so fast I didn’t even see it had gotten anything,” she said. “Then it crashed into a window over by the cafe and dropped (Banana).”
“It was absolutely horrible,” said fellow witness Michael Walker of Corona del Mar. “It was like something you’d see on the nature channel.”
Man mother nature’s a bitch.
