Well, what do you know? The first place my new traveling companions take me to is Duluth, MN!
Duluth! Maybe this new gig won't be so bad after all. First place we went was to visit the Aerial Lift Bridge, one of my favorite places in Minnesota. It was a great day to be there: bright and sunny, a cool breeze off the lake.
 | | |
| Aerial Lift Bridge |
|
Then, the old guy said we were going to visit Big Bird. Big Bird!! I love Sesame Street! And, Big Bird - well, Big Bird is the best thing about Sesame Street. I was so excited. I thought we were headed to New York! The Big Apple! Sesame Street studios!
Didn't happen. Instead, we headed across the bridge to the Lakehead Marina and a boat. A boat?!! Yes, a boat. A big yellow sailboat named "Big Bird". Imagine the disappointment . . . !
I will admit, however, that it was a very nice sailboat. Maybe one day the old guy and I can catch a ride on "Big Bird" out on the big lake!
 |
| Visiting Big Bird |
|
Then the old guy said that we were going to Enger Park to see the flowers. I guess he likes flowers. As for me, "Meh". Flowers are OK, I guess. But, you see one, you've seen them all. Since the old guy had the car keys, we headed off to the top of the hill and Enger Park. And flowers . . .
 |
| Warm hand, cool flowers |
When we got there, the old guy asked a nice lady tending the flower beds if she could help me get a closer look at the flowers. You know, up close those flowers ARE pretty cool. Plus, (and this is a big one) her hand was sooo soft and warm!! After being out in that cool lake breeze it felt SOOOO good!
Then, the old guy said, "We're going to the top of Enger Tower."
 |
| Heading to the top of Enger Tower |
I thought, "Cool! As a bird, I like high places. I'll bet the view from up there is pretty spectacular. I'll just fly on up there and meet the old guy once he makes the climb."
But, no! The old guy, for some inexplicable reason, put me in his pocket and started to climb the tower. A long time later, he finally made it to the top and let me have a look at the view.
 |
| View from the top |
|
I was right, the view was spectacular! But, it was hard to really enjoy it. The old guy was huffing and puffing and wheezing like an old Case steam tractor with a leaky regulator! Talk about annoying!
So, I told him, "Listen, if you'd just let me fly up here by myself, I could have caught a thermal off that nice warm rock you set me on for the photo. I would have soared up here effortlessly. I could have enjoyed this wonderful view with peace and quiet. But, noooo - you had to haul me up here in your pocket! Can you keep the noise down? Just a bit?!"
He said, "Watch it, Soy Bird! Don't push your luck. I hear soy is can be pretty nutritious and tasty. If you're not careful, you may just find yourself in a Soy Bird omelet come morning!"
I said, "Soy Bird?! Soy Bird?! Hey, numbskull, I'm not a "Soy Bird", I'm the SOI Bird! That's S. O. I! Not "Soy"! Geez! And, you'd better be careful, yourself! See this beak? It ain't for pecking at seeds and bugs on the ground. I'm a close cousin to the white-rumped vultures of India. You know what they are and what they do, right? No? Well, Google it, buster, keep it in mind then next time you think you've got something to say!"
Wow! And, it started off to be such a pleasant day.
