Ride 63: Bats and Cats and Nerf or Nothing.
Sparkle has been mainly in her special classroom, with pull outs with one class for her specials: Art, Music, and Gym. She will go to a different class for her reading groups. Those classes are not yet scheduled, but I stopped by this future classroom, and the teacher looked a bit wary. I must remember not to borrow trouble, for popping in at Open House before the teacher has actually met Sparkle means the teacher is winging any conversation with me about what is up. I just worry. But there is an Intervention Specialist in the room as well, so clearly, she works with IEP'd students all of the time.
The bike ride was a short, but sweaty one. It's in the mid eighties here, even at dusk, and moist. I saw three cats on the way over to the trail, all a-prowl and in stalk mode. Beware, moths!
The BIG guy and his little lady on the tandem bike passed me on the way out. I was on my tandem, but Sparkle declined to go out so close to sunset.
Passing the tree fort, I was fired upon by insurgent children bearing Nerf guns. They stopped in horror when they realized they'd shot at the wrong biker in a red shirt, who came from behind just after me. They shouted apologies, and I cried out, "BASE! I've been attacked by friendly fire! Call in the air support!"
I guess this made them look up, for a moment later, a girl's voice called out, "BATS!" (She didn't sound scared, just like, ooh, lookit.) I looked up, and saw the brown fliers make improbable turns just above us, catching the insects. Ah, serendipity. I couldn't have done that better if I'd planned it.
A boy's voice said, "If the bats are out, we'd better get back home before mom notices it's getting dark."
Bugs pinged against me, stinging mightily. I turned around and headed home at the first road, as it was getting darker faster, and I really wanted to be home before actual nightfall. The bats paced me quite a bit, and I'm sure it's because every dratted mosquito in the park was honing in on me to bite. I have dozens of fresh welts on my arms, legs and body through my clothes. I love hearing the bats squeak, but the close-up flapping was disconcerting.
I kept thinking folks were coming up behind me, and I'd turn and look, but it was only the empty trailer behind rattling. When I got to the townlet's road, I had to wait quite a bit for a number of cars, trucks, trucks with trailers, motorcycles and a golf cart to pass before I could go down the long hill home. It's funny how one never has any traffic on that road until you want to cross it, and then it's so busy!
Actual start:
Today was a busy parenting day: help homework, pick up the kiddo from band practice, go to Sparkle's Open House to meet her current and future teachers, medicine pickup at the store, and by Goodness! A bike ride.
The curve under the trees was dark, but it lightened up just past it. I miss the fireflies. Clouds came on the west sky as I parked my bike in the garage, and then it was night time. Made it under the wire!
I am *so* frustrated that LJ won't "cut" my cut tags right any more! It puts the cuts at the top, and I cannot move my uncut words back up over them, and frustrated Judi is frustrated!
The bike ride was a short, but sweaty one. It's in the mid eighties here, even at dusk, and moist. I saw three cats on the way over to the trail, all a-prowl and in stalk mode. Beware, moths!
The BIG guy and his little lady on the tandem bike passed me on the way out. I was on my tandem, but Sparkle declined to go out so close to sunset.
Passing the tree fort, I was fired upon by insurgent children bearing Nerf guns. They stopped in horror when they realized they'd shot at the wrong biker in a red shirt, who came from behind just after me. They shouted apologies, and I cried out, "BASE! I've been attacked by friendly fire! Call in the air support!"
I guess this made them look up, for a moment later, a girl's voice called out, "BATS!" (She didn't sound scared, just like, ooh, lookit.) I looked up, and saw the brown fliers make improbable turns just above us, catching the insects. Ah, serendipity. I couldn't have done that better if I'd planned it.
A boy's voice said, "If the bats are out, we'd better get back home before mom notices it's getting dark."
Bugs pinged against me, stinging mightily. I turned around and headed home at the first road, as it was getting darker faster, and I really wanted to be home before actual nightfall. The bats paced me quite a bit, and I'm sure it's because every dratted mosquito in the park was honing in on me to bite. I have dozens of fresh welts on my arms, legs and body through my clothes. I love hearing the bats squeak, but the close-up flapping was disconcerting.
I kept thinking folks were coming up behind me, and I'd turn and look, but it was only the empty trailer behind rattling. When I got to the townlet's road, I had to wait quite a bit for a number of cars, trucks, trucks with trailers, motorcycles and a golf cart to pass before I could go down the long hill home. It's funny how one never has any traffic on that road until you want to cross it, and then it's so busy!
Actual start:
Today was a busy parenting day: help homework, pick up the kiddo from band practice, go to Sparkle's Open House to meet her current and future teachers, medicine pickup at the store, and by Goodness! A bike ride.
The curve under the trees was dark, but it lightened up just past it. I miss the fireflies. Clouds came on the west sky as I parked my bike in the garage, and then it was night time. Made it under the wire!
I am *so* frustrated that LJ won't "cut" my cut tags right any more! It puts the cuts at the top, and I cannot move my uncut words back up over them, and frustrated Judi is frustrated!