sunny sundays

this weekend, I took a wilderness first aid course - I feel so much more respect for my thermarest now! I can splint every limb on your body with it! I can stabilize your neck with it! I can make a stretcher so comfy, you'll never want to get off of it!

I also enjoyed being "injured" and screaming my head off while 8 people I just met try to figure out what's wrong with me. "Wanna reduce my dislocated knee? sure! go ahead! but I'm going to pass out from low blood sugar because you didn't check my medicalert bracelet to find out that I have diabetes.. *ha ha*".

I'm also terrified that I'm going to have to work with some 200lb beefcake who I won't be able to carry out of any emergency situation. I forgot how heavy 200lbs really is.

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I get a lot of enjoyment out of bird watching. I don't need to see anything new and amazing, just watching other living things eke out their existence gives me plenty of satisfaction. the coots at Jericho have had their chicks.. they are so incredibly ugly with their little bald red heads, and scruffy feathers, and stubby wings. they pester their mothers for food, and scrabble desperately to try to climb on her back, and squeal non-stop. the bullfrogs try to eat them, and the adult coots go absolutely wild pecking at them and chasing them around the pond. stupid bullfrogs. there's also a mallard down there with 11 (!) ducklings. she's amazing.

the bullrushes are getting really high now, so it's hard to see out into the middle of the pond. the beavers are back - i watched a bullrush start twitching wildly as the beaver gnawed through it underwater, cutting away the juicy base and discarding the leaves and roots. he must think that no one knows he's there. I feel like a spy.