I read an interesting report this morning about Chinese college students who pretended to be birds to escape the rhythm of their daily stress. Of course, I immediately sympathized with these students, because I have a pet jay named Huckleberry who never gets bored. I don’t exactly pretend to be a bird when Huck comes over for his beer at happy hour, but I wave my arms up and down to welcome him, and he returns the favor.
You may scoff at it, but this has been our routine for seven years and has kept us both healthy, happy and in good spirits. Then this summer Huckleberry married a nice girl named Emmeline and they brought four beautiful babies to our Tahoe paradise: “Daphne, Jim, Tom and Becky, who all fledged last week from a nest they built next to my front door and are hopping around the neighborhood today entertaining everyone.
Huckleberry is smart. He can count to two and understands when I say: “You’re early, Huckleberry, you have to come back at five!” And he does…
For those readers who didn’t visit Twain Haven to witness this ceremony, I’ll list a few of the techniques Huck uses to get my attention. First, he’ll bang on the window with his beak, second, he’ll land on the flagpole and wave the American flag, and third, he’ll fake his own death, no joke…
Just last week, when I was supposed to go to college with friends at five to have some appetizers, Huckleberry followed my car to college and stood over me expecting me to drop an appetizer on the lawn, which I did to please him, and then he went home.
In closing, I am so glad the Olympics are over and I don’t have to spend another day feeling inadequate and reminded of my failed attempt to qualify for the 1964 Tokyo Games when I landed so flat on my head during a dive that I had to be helped out of the pool with a swimmer.
As I watched this year’s Olympic diving, I bit my lip and muttered to myself, “Oh, so that’s how it’s done!” Then I imagined myself standing on the podium instead of my rightful place, waving to my adoring fans who weren’t there. I don’t mind that I can no longer stand on my head, let alone do a double backflip in a prone position on the ground. Wow! And yet the steeplechase goes to those who can run the fastest in wet shoes. I don’t get it…
Congratulations to NBC for their excellent coverage. The camera work was out of this world. I was mesmerized by the expressions and body language that these talented athletes exuded as they put on their game faces…priceless! Long live the faster-higher-stronger! I can’t wait for 2028 in LA…maybe I should start taking care of myself…
