Back to nature
Feeling good again! After two weeks, my Monday night yoga class was a joy, even though it seemed we were trying to unscrew our thighbones from their sockets. It does feel great to do that, really.
Tuesday was a beautiful day, partly cloudy and temp only 82, perfect for a hike. I chose Dreamy Draw again, as by the time I got around to it there wasn't much time left in the day for driving. I was early enough to find a parking space, as most people seem to go there after work for a quickie.
This time I took the low trail first, through mesquites, smiling at the hummingbird who seemed to take a long time figuring out I wasn't a flowering shrub. Mourning doves were whizzing around every which way, one with a caterpillar dangling from its beak giving off a cozy family vibe. I don't quite see why the doves overwhelmingly dominate Dreamy Draw. I thought I'd see more different types of birds there. Pooh, there I was with my brand new binocs and not that much to see. I practiced my aim, getting the binoculars up to see the same place my eyes were seeing without them. I was way off; got better.
Then I started a long climb uphill. I was pleasantly surprised that my legs felt even stronger than the last time despite nearly two weeks of inactivity. The limitation was my breath, having to stop to pant long before my legs were tired. Still, I was able to hike about the same amount of time as before but without feeling exhausted at the end. That's improvement, today's soreness notwithstanding.
Sitting up top with my tuna sandwich and cashews, I resignedly watched the ubiquitous doves, then suddenly there were three going by with big white patches on the wings. It's been at least thirty years since I was a pretty good birder, so I had to think twice to realize this was not the old familiar mourning dove at all. In the Peterson guide for the west I found a whole page of doves & pigeons, including the white-winged dove that matched my memory of what I'd seen. Whee! A new species for me. (Hey, doves are pretty. No snickering please. Fortunately most of the oddballs in the book are only found around LA; less dove confusion for this recovering birder.)
Tonight, Bally's.
Tuesday was a beautiful day, partly cloudy and temp only 82, perfect for a hike. I chose Dreamy Draw again, as by the time I got around to it there wasn't much time left in the day for driving. I was early enough to find a parking space, as most people seem to go there after work for a quickie.
This time I took the low trail first, through mesquites, smiling at the hummingbird who seemed to take a long time figuring out I wasn't a flowering shrub. Mourning doves were whizzing around every which way, one with a caterpillar dangling from its beak giving off a cozy family vibe. I don't quite see why the doves overwhelmingly dominate Dreamy Draw. I thought I'd see more different types of birds there. Pooh, there I was with my brand new binocs and not that much to see. I practiced my aim, getting the binoculars up to see the same place my eyes were seeing without them. I was way off; got better.
Then I started a long climb uphill. I was pleasantly surprised that my legs felt even stronger than the last time despite nearly two weeks of inactivity. The limitation was my breath, having to stop to pant long before my legs were tired. Still, I was able to hike about the same amount of time as before but without feeling exhausted at the end. That's improvement, today's soreness notwithstanding.
Sitting up top with my tuna sandwich and cashews, I resignedly watched the ubiquitous doves, then suddenly there were three going by with big white patches on the wings. It's been at least thirty years since I was a pretty good birder, so I had to think twice to realize this was not the old familiar mourning dove at all. In the Peterson guide for the west I found a whole page of doves & pigeons, including the white-winged dove that matched my memory of what I'd seen. Whee! A new species for me. (Hey, doves are pretty. No snickering please. Fortunately most of the oddballs in the book are only found around LA; less dove confusion for this recovering birder.)
Tonight, Bally's.
posted by Cranky Ol' Lady at 7:06 PM
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