h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

With the sun coming up at just before 0600 I tend to wake just enough to turn over for 2 more hours. Part of me wants to get up an go for a ride though. Sleep has won out so far.

Lil: I was pretty much the same, although in my case I only felt 3/4 rested, as it were. But then yeah.

I figure this is as good a place as any to ask. Does anyone familiar with North American birds know what sort of bird is black, with a bright red flash on the "shoulder" of the wing, and is basically shaped like a very small crow?

First thing to come to mind is the redwing blackbird, ... Bit of yellow around the under edge of the shoulder flashes

Yep, that looks like what I saw in Chicago. I had never seen one like it here.

They were around the open farm country of southern Ontario where I grew up. That flash of red really catches the eye, doesn't it?

Oh dear I really have been neglecting the salon lately, I will just shuffle back in quietly.
The urge to sing The Lion sleeps tonight is just a whim away.

We have lots of red winged blackbirds in my area.

http://www.google.com/search?q=redwinged+blackbird&hl=en&client=safari&prmd=ivns&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=wpb2TbrxKsf30gHTo-HtDA&ved=0CD0QsAQ&biw=981&bih=661

*pulls out her notepad and begins reviewing the conversation*

Those blackbirds are beautiful.

*waves* to Tod*

*reaches out her hand slaps him firmly round the cakehole*

*wanders off...'I need a new ear worm....'*

I don't believe I have ever seen one in Utah before, and when I was recently in Chicago (first time for me) I noticed a ton of them around the paintball facility my team was visiting. I had never noticed a bird like that before, and no one seemed to know what it was.

G'night all.

Uh oh. *starts searching for his running shoes*

Lil: "I decide to rearrange the legs and settle in for a couple more hours in a different position... and then I wake up again 2 hours later and feel too tired to get up.

I blame 2legs."


It is good to wake up with a laugh.

I've never seen a red winged blackbird, neither in Denmark nor elsewhere in Europe. A lovely looking bird. How is the singing? Our blackbirds have a large range of tunes and they sing their throats off from morning till well into the night during April and May.

Because of having smallish children most of my life, I've always stated I could sleep when I get old. And now I do sleep very well for six or seven hours.

I've always had a problem taking a catnap during the day although I sometime needed it. I would take an hour tossing and turning, before I went to sleep, and after an hour's sleep I would be like a zoombie and it would take me forever to wake up properly.

*Paints speed stripes on her running shoes*

I live downtown, and my apartment is located with respect to the nearest trees in exactly the wrong position to see birds of any description. I can usually hear them at around 4 AM or so ... although on that note I probably ought to go to bed now, I thought Nick had two i's there for a second ...

* pokes about a bit * OUCH!

Yup, I still have two eyes.

And sadly, after an errant comment on FB yesterday, I still have an annoying ear-worm ...

"So remember me my darling when Spring is in the air, and bald-headed birds are whispering everywhere, and you see them walking southward in their dirty underwear ..."

Am resting my running shoes for a few days...

Thanks for saying that Eats! Glad I can act as a spur to help other people

I know I haven't posted much since Dad's funeral last week - it went as well as can be hoped for. Straight afterwards I had to gear myself up to get to scotland for the Edinburgh moonwalk, sadly I didn't organise myself well enough to get to the Gingerbread cottage to see the Zens. J and I completed the half-marathon in 3hrs 12 mins. We were amoung the first people back so very proud of ourselves. I've been a bit achey since, not surprisingly, as that was a fast pace for me with no training beforehand. J enjoyed himself immensely. Not only did he get *loads* of attention (funny to see him having the experience of people talking to him while staring at his chest) but he could get away with staring at loads of women in their underwear, all night, without getting told off!

I have been very tearful ever since, think I was keeping it all together until we got home and now I don't have to organise anything have finally relaxed and let go a bit. I think mum has found the same since after the funeral last week.

Alas, my knowledge of blackbirds is limited to the Beatles song...

<BB<

Well done in E'burgh, kelli

It sounds like you and J were well prepared for the moonwalk, Kelli. Congratulations.

I'm another person who doesn't do well with afternoon naps. I always feel dreadful when I wake up. For this reason I tend to skip them, even if I'm tired.