Sunday wonder

F is for Flying.



Humans have always looked to the skies and imagined flying like the birds. Imagine being able to look down on the earth and see what a bird sees:


When I was a kid I know I dreamed of flying. I think my idea of flying, really, was to go fast. To feel wind on my face was as good as flying and I didn't actually have to leave the ground. Besides, logical parents informed me that I couldn't actually fly. My early bugs-in-the-teeth adventures with my brother (who didn't seem as keen)


grew into flying down long hills on my bicycle. That's the best part of slogging to the top of a hill, with a bike, skis, or a sled: to fly down to the bottom and then start all over again. Kids have that kind of energy.

I think sailing gives one the same windy experience and it can almost seem like flying. Parasailing, or hang gliding really are flying - even a magic carpet ride like in the stories we used to read.


And I'm sure that's why kids like to swing...


I'm still waiting for my ultimate flying experience, though. I have this dream to ride one of the ziplines on Grouse Mountain. One day, I'll do it. Maybe this year?

Northern flicker

Isn't this a beautiful bird? I just wish I was one of those very talented photographers who could get him with wings spread showing the brilliant orange underneath.
But this will have to do.

Winter

The snow hasn't stopped all day. It's still cold and so it's not the wet nasty stuff that we usually have which makes great snowballs and snowmen but gets your mittens all wet.

Anne played with the camera and the birds this afternoon. It took a lot of shots of chickadee butts to get these.

I love the junco with the chickadee (it's the butt, of course) on the feeder. Juncos are not very comfortable feeding like this but the snow is too deep for them to find the seeds that the finches kindly fling about.

Chickadees at the feeder and trying to find something good in the snow. A hungry purple finch dives into the feeder. These are our snow birds!