Bike Journal #4

Five rounds today, windy weather. Felt the intense irony of being cold on the outside and burning on the inside (from exercise). Tried to go down two right-angled slopes like an idiot, nearly crashed into brick wall. Put out my hand to the brick wall to deflect the crash, was successful, but jolt sent saddle right into my arse. Gave me an immense wedgie. My bum doesn't hurt quite so much as it used to, but it IS still kind of numb. Either the saddle or my bum needs some intense breaking in.

Numbers and varieties of birds spotted today grazing about the shorn grass were huge and strange. Usually there are exactly two white-collared kingfishers perching along the rails -- today there were four. Then there were the usual pigeons, crows, sparrows, and along with that, a fat white egret with a browny tail and green feet flying with it's neck tucked in. The same white egret squirting out a white wad of poo. A thin-legged brown thing with a spotted belly, a smaller cousin wading the flat waters of the canal. A small round bird with a back of iridescent russet. Another one with a beige-feathered chest that puffed fatly. And, best of all, a huge creature with feathers like scraped bark and a great long neck and an orange bill that stalked like a king. Marvellous. All this along the woodlandish far edge of the canal.