Ever since I’ve lived in this beautiful condo building with its many amenities, I have told friends and coworkers that they are welcome to come over and enjoy them with me. There’s an indoor, heated salt-water pool, a hot tub, a dry sauna, squash courts, tennis court, etc. Sometimes when I invite friends to dinner, I say, “if you want, bring your suit.” But nobody ever does.
Until today.
I have a friend who has something painful going on with her joints that hasn’t been fully diagnosed yet. Today she took me up on my offer to enjoy the warm water with me. She brought her future step children, both pre-teen. The jacuzzi was piping hot. We could see the snow through the windows of the rec complex while sitting in the hot tub, jets pummeling our sore muscles and her achy joints.
Realizing I had nothing in the house to offer children, I’d gone out early this morning to get juice, snacks and sandwich fixings. It ends up they already had plans to meet Dad for lunch. That’s okay. I made myself a peanut butter, honey and banana sandwich.
When the grey clouds parted momentarily, which the forecast said would not happen for long, I headed over to Lakeview Park Marina to see if I could get a glimpse of the Black-legged Kittiwake that has been spotted there over the past two days. Another birder spied it on the water just off Solidarity Towers and was kind enough to offer me a look. He got it in the view of his beautiful big Swarovsky with 50x magnification, but every time I tried to see it, it either moved or I didn’t focus the scope in time. Then we couldn’t find it again, so I started to leave. As soon as we turned to face upstream, he saw the female King Eider that local birders have also been abuzz about. It wasn’t thirty feet away, too close for the scope! My new friend was also kind enough to point out to me which markings were diagnostic, proving that this was a female King and not Common Eider. Neat!
I had promised to help Sylvain shop for stuff for Pa’s new room, so I thanked the helpful fellow and came home. When Sylvain and I postponed our shopping trip, I decided to head back across the street, this time taking a more western vantage point. I was able to find a pair of Hooded Mergansers, and there was a Lesser Black-backed Gull wheeling low over the ice and water a ways downstream.
Since the sun was still out, I decided to check Lakeview Park Marina one more time. Scanning the water without the binoculars, I easily spotted something different floating among the hundreds of divers. It was the Kittiwake! What an adorable bird.
As I was leaving another birder was just pulling up. As she extracted a nice scope from the trunk of her car, I told her where she could find the Kittiwake.
“Is the Eider still around?” she asked.
I told her I’d seen it just an hour earlier.
At supper time Sylvain joined me for the last of my coq au vin, after which we went out to get Pa some things for his room.
In all it was a nice, active day. I feel much better for having moved my body AND gotten some sunshine.
THE SUN IS FUN… the warmth alone is medicinal but more than that the sun brings us into the present whereas the clouds bring us into ourself. The best looking babes are from down south and the most astute are from up north (I should know because I worked in the carnivals for eleven years… I’ve been everywhere man!). The sun in the south brings-em out and they grow tall and are tanned. The lack of sun in the north works in the opposite way. You have your best Ivy League Colleges in the cold book smart north (what else is there to do up there in the winter) and you have your best sport teams down in the south. Woman up north are very fine indeed so please… don’t take me wrong. However, skrunching-up behind the steering-wheel while waiting for the car heater to kick-in knarles up a body; so do enjoy the rays whenever and wherever you find them. Suits optional… just like you said KIKIPOTAMUS THE HOBO!
CONSULTING WITH THE SPIRITUAL HOBO
I enjoyed the story of your day, Kelly. I enjoy every post though and every story. I am glad you moved your body and got some vitamin D. Your hobo commenter has fallen victim to flight of ideas, but in a good natured way :) xoO
it’s amazing how much movement AND sunshine (particularly that combo) can lift your spirits isn’t it???