Head First

On a very fine Sunday, we went for a bike ride out to the lake and sat and sipped coffee for a spell. When we came home, we discovered that the grandbirds had entered another phase of their short and ever-changing lives. They are, or this one is at least, now poking their heads out of the portal. This is the most advanced rascal and, right now at least, is getting the lion's portion of the food. He simply thrusts himself into the doorway where no other avian can get past: neither the 'rents nor the siblings.

They change ever so quickly. Just a few short days ago, they were not yet fully feathered and would respond positively to our voices. Now, they shrink into silence if they see or hear us near. The next change? One speculates that this guy won't remain in the nest for much longer. In fact, we have the camera set out on the tripod ready to attempt to capture his foray into the wide world. Likely, however, he'll take off when we're still in bed or out doing something or other. We can't sit in anticipation twenty-four hours a day after all.

Hurry up Dad!

Hey Doofus, I'm up here!

 

Two Ordinary Photos

Nothing too special: just a couple of photos from recent bike trips. The first, above, is [quite obviously] of two horses that we frequently see on our trip out the concession line. We have taken to riding this road much more than the trail lately. It's less dusty for one thing and slightly easier to pedal for another.

Below, is a photo of the Lake Huron shoreline quite near our regular coffee-stop. Cuppa took this when she was looking for flower photos to post on her blog. She plans to do one of her super duper, imaginative blogs, so it isn't up yet. Look for it to come shortly to a blog near you.

 

A Flower from the Dad

Sometimes I surprise myself at how maudlin and sentimental I can quickly become.

The other day, Lady Bug (daughter #2, for those who don't know) called and informed us that she had wiped-out badly on her bike. She bikes in traffic in Ottawa, so my heart missed a beat or two when I overheard snatches of the news that she was passing along to Mama Cuppa over the phone. I heard Cuppa gasp words like accident, wipe-out, traffic, scrapes, X-ray, and more. Almost immediately, my eyes filled with emotional tears.

It was an unreasonable reaction because she was clearly alright, albeit badly shaken. But the dad's mind immediately went to the dark places of could'ves. She could've wiped-out while travelling in moving traffic rather than at a traffic light when the cars were stopped. When she fell and rolled, she could've rolled into and under traffic rather than towards the relative safety of the curb.

That's what happened, friends. It was a rainy day, and her tires lost their grip as traffic began to stop for a red light. She doesn't remember falling, just rolling and getting up. Scary stuff indeed.

We called again that evening, and I spoke to her, and she assured me in a too-chipper-to-be-genuine voice that she was fine. Of course, she both was and wasn't fine. She was fine because nothing major occurred, but she wasn't fine because my little girl was shaken and upset. I know that she was trying to make us feel better, and I think that's pretty darn wonderful of her.

So, I got off the phone and convulsed again, and my eyes brim a little even as I write this now. Sometimes, I take my kids for granted and almost forget how much I love them. It shook me to the core to realize how close I could have come to losing one of them the other day.

I love you guys, both of you. And your partners too. I maintain my motto: We are a small family but a great family. So this flower from my garden and from my heart is for you Lady Bug, and for you Butterfly, and for The Boy and Powerpuff too. You're my kids dammit, so take care of yourselves.

 

Lance and the Boys

vs. AC and the Girl

The Tour de France recently ended. Lance and the boys cycled over 3500k in three weeks. AC and the girl have managed about 2500k in a year (but we have long winters here, don't forget — yeah sure). Lance and the boys average, average mind you, about 41k/h. AC and the girl average about 20.5k/h on a good day. I haven't even topped-out at 41k/h yet. I went as fast as I could today, on flat ground and with a tail wind. I managed to get up to 40k/h. At that speed, I felt unsafe and vulnerable. And after hitting 40k/h — very briefly mind you — I was nigh unto ready to pass out. I have no idea how Lance and the boys do it, and I stand in stupefied and thunderstruck awe. Mighty warriors they.

 

Canadian Idol: Top Nine

See update below ...

I'm pretty sure that nobody who checks this blog follows Canadian Idol, but I don't care; it's something that I want to do — just for the heckuvit, eh?

This week, I have my top three, in order above from left to right. Two of them didn't make my top five last week. So, you see, everything is pretty fluid right now. I still like Rex the best overall, and I also think that he should outlast most.

Yup, that's my bottom three, simply based on this week. I have Amber, possibly the best pure singer, at the bottom. While she may be a judges' favourite, she was not with it this week, and she's going to have to deliver much better performances if she wants to keep going; she can't just stand there in dowdy clothes and croon soothing sounds. I hope that she lasts long enough to learn to deliver more because she certainly has the requisite vocal ability.

Based on cumulative results so far, I think that Casey, who has been weak for two straight weeks, deserves to go, but she may just be able to hang in there.

I thought that Daryl, whom I picked to go last week, delivered a very good performance and should not be in this week's bottom three. But I am a still, small voice who doesn' even bother to vote, so we'll see (or I'll see) how it all pans out on Wednesday night.

Update: Canada chose not to vote the way that I would have voted, but having said that, you vote for favourites to keep on rather than who should go. I often feel that results would be very different if the voting was done the other way.

Anyway, the bottom three were: Michelle, Josh, and Ashley. Josh was the first to be safe and return to the couch. Both girls were very emotional, but Ashley was the one to go.

Casey dodged another bullet by staying completely out of the bottom three. I think that, in her case, there is some very strong regional voting going on that is upsetting the applecart just a tad.

 

Not in My Backyard

After posting the previous photo of the two sparrows by the nest opening, I sat on the back deck both to read and to keep the birds in sight. And I became somewhat saddened. For I saw that both parents were now just coming to the perch to feed their chicks. Do you see why that saddened me? That photo shows only two gaping mouths by the entrance. So, I began to despair that three chicks were not getting their fair share and that, in fact, they might not live long enough spread their tiny wings and take flight.

I may be wrong. I hope that I'm wrong.

I know that Tennyson was right when he described nature as being red of tooth and claw, but I'm a tad soft-hearted (and, many would argue, soft headed). It disturbs me to think that life may be extraordinarily brief for several of these little lives.

I know that's how it works and that for Mom and Pop sparrow two healthy progeny are a success. They have done their bit. They have procreated and nurtured two (and hopefully more) carriers of their genes into the wild blue yonder. I know that's how it works, but I don't like it.

Not in my backyard anyway.

 

Little Big Mouths

The grandkids continue to get louder and louder and drive Maw and Paw into greater and greater efforts to nourish them. Cupster has counted five beaks in there. Two seem to be more advanced and two less so. Now, when we approach the nest and talk to them, at least two beaks thrust themselves right up near the doorway. We'll try not to get too carried away, however, as we don't wish to overly interrupt Maw and Paw as they attend ever so diligently to their duties.