Standing at the Trailhead of Winter

Monday evenings is put trash on the curb evenings in our city. And because I'm a fan of treasure hunting, I either walk the streets (sounds racy, doesn't it), ride my bike, or have Hubby drive me around to see what treasures await me finding them and bringing them home. This week, Hubby and I went out, going to an older neighborhood to drive the streets. Unfortunately, we came up with zip. We returned home, and I started out for what I was hoping to be a six mile walk. Less than a mile in, I spied a pile of junk on a side street, so I veered that way to inspect. As I approached, I saw what I knew was the top step of a ladder. A wooden ladder. I'd been searching for a wooden ladder for months, wanting one to put in the garden for the pole beans (which turned out to be bush beans) to climb. The ladders I found in antique stores were marked well over $100, and I wasn't about to pay that. Online, the ladders went anywhere from $50 up to $200. Me being the cheapskate that I ...

During my 100 mile ride today, the coolest thing happened. I was pedaling along, thinking about how I need to get to work on my manuscript and get it finished up once and for all. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a shadow on the road. Initially the shape of it brought to mind the orange flags that cyclists used to use years ago. I turned to look, thinking I would see a cyclist passing me. Instead of a cyclist, I saw a large bird flying alongside, right at shoulder level. For nearly 20 yards or so, the bird glided, its wings spread so I could see the white and black pattern on the underside of its feathers, and the black stripes on its body. It then looked at me, flew ahead and across my path, and up to sit on a utility pole. Initially I thought the bird was a hawk, but after returning home and looking up the different types of birds of prey, I found what I think the bird truly was: an American kestrel. As I pedaled on, I marveled over the bird flying alongside. I see it as a very ...