dramabirds
There is a shitstorm in progress which I have neither the wisdom to process, nor the heart to describe, and so I drag out this small pleasure to share.
During my childhood I used to see redwing blackbirds all the time, especially when our dad would drive us somewhere in the country. But since, oh...I'm guessing my early teens, I had not seen one, and then suddenly, along West Walmart Road (every town has one of these now, right? The road the city built to accommodate the Evil Empire?) I started seeing these birds again. It was a joy. It made that ugly road worth it, really.
Today I was in the southbound lane of West Walmart Road when I saw something I had never seen before, blackbirds with yellow swooshes on their wings.
Ok, so they're probably really the same kind of bird but with a color mutation, but I thought it was cool, so just give me that one.
Two of them were flipping, flapping, dancing, fighting, or mating...some kind of wild and wooly bird thing in the northbound lane.
Then one of them turned and flew straight toward my open window.
I totally cringed.
At the last minute the bird twitched up and, I assume, flew over the roof of the van.
I jerked away from the ditch I thought sure I was heading for but wasn't, and twitched over into the oncoming lane as a result. Praise the traffic gods the lane was empty.
So. Drama, birds, and a near-death experience. I've had a full day already.