Bicycles!

We finally got Bill convinced to get the bikes out of the shed! Actually, I had to start taking them out myself yesterday for him to realize that I was serious about it. He was afraid I'd hurt myself, so he said that he would get them today if I would remind him as soon as he got home. So, as he was walking in the door Otter and I were standing right there and we said one phrase over and over and over and over and.... "Bicycles, we want bicycles!" It worked. Of course, the tires were flat so Bill had to take care of that for us. Then Otter and I got the seat adjusted on her new one (my "old" one - really just a few months old) and then away we went.

And about 20 feet later, the chain slipped off of my bike so I had to walk it back and get Bill to fix it for me. It's an old 10-speed, it was a pretty expensive brand at one point but I bought it at a yard sale for $5.00. It takes specialty tires, so I didn't actually get to ride it for quite a while after we got it because it took a while to find the tires. Now I'm thinking that it might be on it's last legs, but I'll ride it until it falls apart. If I do have to replace it, I'm getting a plain old one speed! I'm sure that my knees will be rebelling tomorrow, but it is actually good therapy for them. It may be rainy the next couple of days, but I am going to ride as often as I can.

Bill actually cleaned out an area of the shed so we can store the bikes there, then get them out easily when we want them. It was kind of a mess and still is in the shed, but one thing at a time!

I think Otter will enjoy her new one, it's a better size for her. The purple one is only about 3 years old, but she's grown a lot in those 3 years. The doctor said that she's probably just about at her adult height and the blue bike should work for her for many years - or until she gets a car and forgets about the bike!

I had a close encounter of the hummingbird kind this morning. I was watering the venus flytraps, which have been relocated to the deck. They are on the outside window ledge of the dining room window, right under the feeder. I heard a buzz and looked up, there was a male ruby-throat about 4" from my head. He was just suspended there, for several minutes then he landed on the feeder which was just a couple of inches higher and fed for several minutes more. I think maybe he's one of last year's crew returning since he was not afraid of me at all. It was a wonderful experience! It lasted until another hummer showed up and the first one chased the second one off. They will return to the same areas year after year, if the food source is one that they like. We also had an oriole on the feeder on Saturday. They will feed from hummingbird feeders. I've just never seen them here before.

That's it for now! I'm just waiting for Otter to get out of the shower so I can take one. But she's a typical teenage girl, she could stay in the shower for hours. Froggy, do you remember Dad yelling at you to get out of the shower because you'd been in there so long? I remember him telling me that he was going to start giving me the water bill to pay!