Last night on the way home from work I peaked up at the Morningside bald eagle nest. (I call it that because it is close to the Morningside Drive intersection with the George Washington Parkway.) Peaking over the edge of the nest was a white head. Cool.
This morning I rode past the nest and didn’t see anything but a couple of miles later I saw a bald eagle perched in a branch above the Belle Haven nest. (This is next to Belle Haven Country Club.) It’s the first time in months that I’ve seen eagles in both nests.
North of Daingerfield Island (so-called because it gets no respect, no respect at all) a seagull took to flight about five feet above the river’s edge. It was coming my way. What a strange sight, me rolling one way and the gull cruising the other.
Yes, folks. My commute is pretty effing awesome.
On the ride home I had to deal with some Canada geese. The geese feed on the grass that grows on either side of the Mount Vernon Trail. They aren’t all that concerned with trail traffic. Roughly across from the Washington Monument, the trail takes a dip. I rolled down the dip and into a gaggle of grazing geese. Most of them waddled away but two took to the air right in front of me. Dang, they look big when they are flying. My front wheel just managed to avoid getting caught up in one goose’s tail feathers. Honk.
The rest of today’s riding was uneventful but for the stop at Spokes Etc. to have a new cassette and chain installed on The Mule. I was hoping it would cure the roughness in my drivetrain but some crunchiness continues. Maybe a blast from a hose this weekend will clear things up.
A Few Spokes Shy of a Wheel 
A word of warning about Canada geese: they have the ability to poop while in flight. RUN if they’re flying above you at low altitude.