(no subject)

So, I biked to the farmers market in the snow today. Not a ton of snow, and the kind of wet slippery stuff that made me feel like I was back in Seattle. About half way there I put my feet down, though, and realized that while the carbide studded tires were fine, my feet had no traction. Way more icy than I'd realized. (And, of course, cars.) But I went on and did my shopping, with only vague wondering about how well I'd get back. And, in fact, by the time I made it back there was far more wet and slush than ice.

Not much in the way of greens (the primary reason for the trip) but the greenhouse people are reserving a bunch for me for next week, and I got peanut butter hemp balls, and pasta, and apples and garlic (and mushrooms and arugula and...) and am generally pleased.

Yesterday while I was putting out the compost I heard a strange whistle, and looked up to see a large bird land in the neighbors yard and kind of halfway bounce against the intervening chain link fence. It stopped to shake itself off, and I stayed to get a better look, and there was a somewhat wet looking peregrine. Which then hopped up on a low branch, and watched me, so I hung out longer and watched it, and we spent some companionable time that way. (Eventually I decided that I really did need to get in to the lab.)

It's been a year for interesting encounters with birds.