First in Flight

Got a question for you all: did you ever play the game when you were growing up that asked you to choose your superpower? You know the game.

I think I always stumped people when I said "invisibility."

That was, and is still, my first choice.

Every introvert out there reading this right now is sitting there shaking their head saying, "Oh yeah!" They get it.

But, it has been pointed out to me frequently and often that I am obsessed with watching birds in flight.

And, I am.

And, yes, I do like flying.

And, yes, I would love to be able to fly myself.

LOL, I just would like to be invisible while doing so.

Seriously, I am sticking with invisibility. Has nothing to do sneaky or anything like that. I am just such a hardline introvert, I would love to be able to open the door, walk down the street, eat in a restaurant and be totally unseeable to any and everyone around me.

Most of you are sitting there shaking your heads. I get that.

Some of you are smiling inwardly and agreeing with me because you get it!

Let me just say to that group, I love you all.

Hard as it is for me to do this, I am putting the invisibility thing aside for the rest of this blog.

I really, truly, sincerely wish I could fly.

To spend hours riding the drafts, cruising along the wave tops, swooping and weaving and gliding above all the chaos. That is as close to Heaven on earth as this kid can get.

I have a difficult time believing there is anyone on the face of the earth that does NOT love flying.

Still, I remember the lady I spent an entire flight on the way to Phoenix with when my female-parental unit died.

Before we took off until I could get far away from her, all she did was cry and moan loudly, "Oh, we're gonna die. We're ALL gonna die!"

The only flight I ever took that I didn't enjoy for some reason.

It seemed like it took forever to get from DFW to Sky Harbor in Phoenix.

Since I can't fly, I take every opportunity to be out where I can watch my feathered friends performing acrobatics on the breezes.

It's almost like watching a ballet.

Or a demolition derby.

If you pay attention to my photos, you have seen more than a few near misses in flight.

Know what? It barely gets a reaction other than slight changes or corrections in flight patterns.

Just think of all that entertainment and I don't pay a cent for it. How awesomely incredible is that?

As has been noted by others before, I think my favorite to watch in flight are the pelicans.

They are SO awkward when not flying, but become grace personified when in flight.

Watch them when they fly in formation. I mean, it is like watching my brothers and sisters in the military back in our marching days. We had some fantastic routines - and so do the pelicans!

The other advantage, to my way of thinking, is that we could fly over, under or around any obstacle we encounter.

AND, we wouldn't have to fight to lose weight with all that flying.

Just saying...

Birds, also have a playfulness to them.

I am at work on my online photo store for my photo website and came across this series of photos that cracked me up. Just check this one out and tell me that bird is not laughing!!

I truly believe they learn to recognize and differentiate us from other humans.

I guarantee the squirrels and birds in this yard know this human. This human is the bringer of edibles! LOL!

There is one wren in particular that knocks on my window almost every day to say good morning.

And, on at least two occasions, has flown in the open door to sit on the top of a kitchen chair to chat while we were at the table.

Little bugger flies in, lands and starts chattering away not two feet from me and making eye contact the entire 2-5 minutes of each visit. Then, with a nod, off little wren flies back outside.

I would love to know what was said.

Oh well, I can always tell my own version of it. Who would know, right?

Okay, so anyone with feedback, please respond. Whether as a fellow bird lover, or not, would be nice to hear from others who enjoy my feathered friends, too.

So then, until next week, Merry Christmas, stay safe, stay well and see you back here next time!