February 25, 2009

Kookaburra's Visit



I am linking a video in an attempt to make this blog slightly more interesting as I am guilty of partially neglecting it. It is of a young kookaburra that was perching on some bamboo on the back deck/balcony of my home. Some common birds in my backyard got very territorial and tried to ward it off. They succeeded eventually. (Sorry for the poor pic quality, as this was shot in low resolution. )

February 23, 2009

A Recreational Cyclist List of Do Nots

  1. Do not descend down a steep hill too fast, fall off the bike and land in a creek. (There are times when I think this might happen).
  2. Do not descend downhill too fast, swerve sharply and land in a ditch. (ditto)
  3. Do not accelerate downhill, fall off the bike and then roll down the hill. (ditto)
  4. Do not collide with other cyclists at a narrow bypass/stretch. (Almost did this.)
  5. Do not collide with enthusiastic kids on wheels who don't know left from right. (They are so cute. Where are their parents?)
  6. Do not fall off an ill-fitting bike in front of group of recreational walkers . (This is embarrassing.)
  7. Do not attempt to cycle away from a chasing dog and then run the bike over it, much to the chagrin of the owner. (Almost did this.)
  8. Do not attempt to climb up a humongous hill to get to a connecting bikeway. (And only to quit half way.)
  9. Do not forget to shift to low gear before you climb a hill, so that the bike won't stop a few metres after the foot of the hill . (What else is new.)
  10. Do not forget to pump tyres before outing , so don't end up riding on squishy tyres. (They make a lovely squeaky sound though).
  11. Do not forget to lay out bike attire the night before, so will actually have a better chance of finding them in the morning. (The opposite of this is embedded in me like a computer virus).