This good thing happened today...

I stood in the rain and tossed
the lead line up into the dead
tree again trying to get it over
a branch about 30’ up.

And missed for the 18 gazillionth
time and brought down more dead bark
and a bat which fell into the grass
next to me. It was stretched out and
moving sluggishly. I picked it up
and it blasted me with its echolocation;
a high, bizzipppp noise.

I was afraid it was damaged and I turned
it around and tried to avoid the nasty
fangs – almost alien-like. Didn’t see
any obvious injury. What a marvel, though!
A fellow mammal with exaggerated fingers
and perfect toes with a membrane between
the feet to scoop insects out of the night
air.

Fascinating. I dug out a little cave out of
the moss and dirt under a boulder of diorite
and placed the bat inside and covered it with
bark not very hopeful that it would survive.

I checked it later after we felled several
dangerous trees and it was curled up
far away from the light with its wings
wrapped around its body and fast asleep.

It must have been hibernating under the
bark when I knocked it out of the tree
with a weighted piece of nylon line.

Well, mammals belong in caves anyway – even
the flying ones.

))){

in the snow again. The wind
chill is about 15˚F

The above image is what it
looks like outside my window
right now.

_{items to bring:
1) beanie
2) iPod
3) harpoon}

))){

3.5 mile run in the snow
through fields with the
sun warming my back.

))){

I ran into the small store and
demanded a chocolate donut:

“It’s Friday and by God, I want a
donut!”

I laughed along with two or three
other customers, paid for my donut
and ran out into the spring sun
watching keenly for black ice in
the road.

After I ran about a mile it occurred
to me that I never picked up the donut
and that the people in the store were
probably still laughing.

Oh well. Maybe I really didn’t need
a donut after all.

))){

and a dip in the snow melt lake.

Brrr.. I tried to scream as quietly
as possible.

_{Self portrait before run: half-assed
(or full?) one-handed handstand.}

))){

I guess my Celtic tenacity has reached
new highs (or my common sense has reached
new lows). I have refused to accept that
I can’t find my license and so I’ve been
running every day peering alongside the road
(unfortuitously for me a street sweeper had
passed by right after I lost it) and in the
bushes and.. well, it’s not really about
finding my license anymore. It’s turned into
a game of hide-and-seek or scavenger hunt:
my running now has a purpose – a hopeless purpose
maybe but a purpose nonetheless.

All I found today was a Snap-On 3/4” deep
socket (that probably cost more than my
license actually), an incredible amount of
empty beer cans, assorted general crap and
several empty plastic pints of really cheap
vodka (do people really drink vodka out of
a bottle while they’re driving?!).

The good thing about all this is I was starved
and ate an entire box of Linguine fini (serves
6 – or 1 fishboy) with Stilton cheese and organic
beef and cracked black pepper.

And.. I’ll sleep like a rock.

_{Probably do the same again tomorrow after work.}

))){

I was running earlier and
I saw a Bald Eagle in a tree
about 15 feet away from me and
level with the road.

We stared at each other for
a while. The eagle looked at
me in that curious bird way;
turning its head sideways to
peer at me.

There were a bunch of ravens
in a tree behind the eagle.
They were sitting there very
seriously. “AWWWK!” I said.

As I ran off one raven said
goodbye: “OOOOKKKK.”

We had some kind of understanding
going on. Not sure what. But it
was cool.

))){

1.2 mile hill climb run with
Marley the French bulldog.

We sat companionably on a rock
perched on a cliff and watched the
sun go down.

Then we ran down the trail and
I beat him to the car but just barely.

2.2 miles
680’ elevation gain
1 tired French bulldog

))){

I walked into the small store on
my island.

There was a short queue of people.
Conversation with the cashier was
like this:

How are you? And everyone was:
Broke.
Sick.
Awful.
Life sucks.
The economy = poopy.

When it was my turn I beamed a
huge smile:

“Great. I’m having an excellent day;
and by the way, give me three lotto
tickets – I feel lucky.”

And you know what? Everyone of them
was a winner for a total of $13.00
my lucky number, too!

I walked out whistling and grinning
and people actually smiled because
things really aren’t that bad and
happiness is contagious.

))){