Today's Walk

I need to get about 12,000 steps in a day to help support my walking competition teammates. Not quite getting there. I do seem to get my best relief from discomfort when I walk.

Today I tried to stretch it out a little doing part of our routine walk and extending it. As I was heading down a side street I heard this different bird noise, or combination of noises. I looked in the street where a few crows were gathered and one of them was holding something down. A couple of adult flickers were calling and fluttering about. What I found was one of the crows stepping on and pecking a young flicker. It could have been on its maiden flight or perhaps was picked out of the nest. The poor thing was still alive so I chased the crows who didn't go far so that the flicker could get out of the street. A neighborhood woman came out about that time to see what was happening. The little bird flopped out of the street and took refuge in some bushes. I wish we could have picked it up. The parents were still calling out and upset. Of course, those darned crows were still making their fuss.

At the small grocer store down the street I learned that the produce/spice shop is going out of business. That's disappointing as it was a great resource for bulk spices. I also ran into my buddy Mike. He has lived in the neighborhood probably longer than I. He has a disability - legs and arms that he is unable to use, most likely a birth defect. We stopped to chat. He tells me that his job, which I believe was workforce development, had been eliminated due to budget cuts, so he would be around more. I asked him if he had ideas about what he wanted to do. In true Mike spirit, he said, "I've had to remake myself before and I can do it again. I have some sort of subconscious ideas. Something different." Wanting to see what his response would be I asked, "What, stand-up comedy?" He said, "No, sit-down comedy." I expected no less. He's done acting and voice overs in the past, so he's thinking he might want to get into that again. Anyone have any leads? Much luck to him in his next venture. I hope that I continue to see him around.

Had my Kombucha at a local cafe, and now I'm back again. I think I got 12,000 steps in with a few zigs and zags. Now I'm ready for a nap!