If I Could Talk With The Animals

By -
Blog for Thursday - hopefully that is all days accounted for!

It was a very short day - just 46 miles - and totally different to everything so far in that:

1/ the sun didn't come out....well not until lunchtime and
2/ the scenery has completely changed. Today we had endless fields of salad crops or strawberries with hundreds of dagoes (I believe Latin Americans may be a little more PC) toiling in the fields. The temperature was around 70 yet they mostly had sweatshirts and hoods and even the odd thick coat. One or two of them may even have had a work permit!

What does all this have to do with the song de jour? Absolutely nothing! This, however, does:

For some time I have been building a mental list of the wildlife that we have encountered and it surprisingly long list:

Whales - we ae now pretty certain they were whales not minkies

Elk - lots of deer but some proper Elk too

Seals

Sea lions - at least they looked like seal lions though they were not balancing stripey balls on their noses so it is hard to be sure
















Sea Otters - two separate sightings, one of 3 together and another diving for clams and opening them

Coyotes - though not carrying anvils nor anything manufactured by the Acme Corporation.

Racoons - Alan had a face to face encounter with a gang outside his tent flap

Polecats - or some other long thin rodenty thing a bit like a Pine Martin.

Pelicans - and pelican'ts

Bluejays - or something we think is a bluejay

Vultures - not half as nice as the Jungle Book version

Birds of prey - chuffing loads of various sorts but, sadly, no bald eagles. Though if we can catch a buzzard I have a sharp razor.......

We still have some 450 miles to go so who knows what else we might see - probably unicorns.

Our campsite surpassed itself tonight with a 'club room'. Basically a nice warm rooms with pool table, sofas and a chuffing great plasma TV. Alan was as happy as the proverbial pig in brown stuff scouring the airwaves for Merican Football.

Tomorrow.....Big Sur.

Steve
------------------

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll/Mr Tamborine Man/I Write The Songs

By -
Image
  After an 18 month separation Plum and I are reforming the band for another tour.  The two of us, plus 6 others, are heading up to Scotlandshire for another crack at the North Cost 500.  I should probably introduce the full line-up:   Lead Singer - David.  David is the young(er) pretty one.....brother of John.  David also happens to be my Financial Adviser and is funding this trip (plus a yacht and a cocaine habit) out of what he makes from my account.   Lead Guitar - Nick.  Friend for 50 years.  At school Nick was a keen cyclist and consequently, quite rightly, bullied.  Nick has forgotten more about cycling than I will ever know.   Bass Guitar - Stuart.  Stuart and I worked together for many years; he has powerful legs and can push out big watts while looking like he is coasting.  I hate Stuart.   Keyboards - Michael.  Michael is a...
Read more

If I Could Turn Back Time

By -
Image
If ever you are in the Inverness area on a Friday and looking for a lively night you could do a lot worse than avoid Muir of Ord.  Our hotel, the only pub, wasn't serving food so we walked into town where it appeared that Steven Spielberg had just finished filming some sort of post-apocalypse movie: nothing open, nobody on the streets and the odd bit of tumbleweed blowing along the pavement.  Even the fish and chip shop couldn't be arsed to open...on a FRIDAY NIGHT!  We managed to find a take-away offering a rather odd choice of kebabs and curries (served in pizza boxes for added novelty) and purchased some food which made up for in calories what it lacked in food-hygiene standards.   I recall a meeting where a few of my co-riders and I met to kick around ideas for a group ride.  We considered all sort of destinations....mostly in those parts of Europe where the weather isn't consistently shite.  I'm ashamed to say that I thin...
Read more

Julia's Song

By -
Image
As some readers will know, Plum is no longer Chard's most eligible bachelor.  The lovely Julia has taken on the job that Social Services would otherwise have to do....making sure he changes his pants once a week whether they need it or not and loading routes onto his Garmin.  We are all very grateful to Julia, especially Chards most eligible bachelorettes who can get back on the dating scene now Plum is safely off the market. As we were starting our trip Julia fell, dislocated her foot and broke her Tibia so she is probably missing Plum more than usual. She has insisted that the show should go on so thanks for being such a trooper. Today was another with a shortcut that promised to turn a very hard day into something more manageable.  Some of our group took the high road and others took the low but I had a more cunning idea.....get in the van.  Whatever is ailing me, long covid or acute spinelessness, reached the point where pushing th...
Read more