"pain in the booootaaaaaaaaaay"

I spent the majority of last week climbing steep hills, wading through poison oak (oh blessed resistant genes of mine), and keeping an eye out for mountain lions. Erego, MIA. Here's some evidence of my endeavors: The turkey warming these eggs lay flat and camouflaged until I was a meager three feet away. Then, it shot up and both of us hollered. HOLLERED. I had to go over the walkie and tell my coworkers that I hadn't just been eaten by the notorious rock-peeing scat-leaving pawprint-making mountain lion. Apparently, my holler had turned into a laugh at the end, so they already knew things hadn't gone afoul.And here, ladies and gentlemen, is a supreme example of modern California oak woodland. Native, undisturbed, pristine. Go. Frolic.

John took us on a wee detour in the hills of Orinda to visit an unexpected Native American rock spiral nestled on a mountain top. Rob, John, and I walked the spiral path, bringing offerings of bi-colored lupines. Apparently, the area is still in use by native cultures and public alike. It's nice the site is a bit hidden; there really wasn't any sign of disrespect, even if people respect in different ways. Cool.

dive bombed

There are birds making nests in the rafters of our building at work. They have chosen the route to the bathroom as their primary stomping ground, and have taken to swooping down on the unwary (or wary) traveler. I'm not sure what they are; I'm too busy ducking and cringing and flinching. My love of small birds is well known, and certainly my own little circle of hell would be full of the flitting creatures. Actually, I feel a little sad for them. For all my bobbing and weaving, someone else will be the one to complain, and the nests will be dismantled by building management. Alas.

My ipod recently decided to stop playing the lyrics of the music I have stored there. This is vexing. I walk a lot throughout the city, and my headphones play constant companion on these excursions. So, recently, given the weird underwater sounds my ipod has been playing, I have been leaving it on my desk, going out and listening to outside sounds when walking. What have I heard? A man walking on the street in tap shoes (tap shoes!). A woman saying farewell effusively to another in Polish. In the Music Concourse, a man gestured wildly while talking on the phone in an Italian accent about he wife. She, apparently, is beautiful. A (fragile) elderly couple, in the corner store I frequent, contemplating the carrying of their groceries to their car. They said:

Elderly Man: Would you like me to to carry this to the car and come back for the rest and you?
Elderly woman: No. No. We will go slowly together.

Yesterday, I walked 16 miles (more or less) in circles, looking for rare plants.

A common thread? Dive bombed.