the river

i woke up frustrated and angry with myself for being so far behind in my work. S. tried sweetly to encourage me to be more compassionate, but i was in no mood to cooperate and just got more and more cranky. So i did what the Boss recommends when we're in need of a break from the gritty realities of city life: I went down to the River.
There i saw two GOLDFINCHES, bright yellow and doing a mating ritual in the air; a pair of AMERICAN KESTRELS, my first real up-close look at this bird, who were sitting near each other and preening on a branch; and an AMERICAN COOT, which made a bunch of noise splashing in the water before i saw it pumping its head and swimming toward me along the edge. this is an all-over slaty-black bird, with a really dorky-looking white blob on its bill. It's not a duck, though, just a water bird with big clumsy feet. I'd never seen one before.
Still marveling, i rode home on my bike and am now SUPER crabby because i just realized i FORGOT it is daylight savings day. agh! I HATE That!