Tag: Dino

Warm in the Winter

It’s bloody freezing, but some know the best way to beat the cold.

We had a pretty heavy snow fall last week, but it was followed by a few days of unseasonably warm spring-like weather that took the edge off.

Only for winter to return with a vengeance as the mercury plummeted, the winds wound up and the sun struggled to break through the clouds.

Some of us are better at coping with the cold, with my pet Dinosaur being a case in point.

Dino is a rosy-faced lovebird, which is endemic to south-western Africa, so they’re genetically inclined to seek the warmth.

In the coldest parts of winter, usually mid-January to about late March, I use bar mitts on the handlebars of my bikes because experience has taught me that they’re the best option for keeping out the cold.

And with my judgement on that matter was based on seeing nearly all the bicycle couriers in central Tokyo using them in the winter.

Bar mitts have been one of my best bicycle purchases ever.

And they have taken on another role even when the bike is not being used.

Dino loves climbing into the mitts to stay warm when the bike is on its rack.

She hangs out in the mitts, staying snug and chewing on the bar tape, which she has eyed for her nest.

And sometimes she leaves a surprise that I most often discover when I head out the door into the icy cold and dark at 5 a.m.

Her poop!

Warm in the Winter

Dino the dinosaur is no slouch in finding a warm place in the winter, which is a handy trait when you’re a rosy faced lovebird.

She huddles up next to her heaters, on the nest she builds out of the strips of paper she so dexterously rips off with her beak, or nestles in the nape of Kangaeroo’s neck, or in the sleeve of his cardy.

Rest assured, though, where it’s warm and comfortable in Kangaeroo Corner, there’s a good chance you’ll find Dino.

It’s reassuring to have her in the cardigan sleeve as I type, to be honest (even though she’ll probably poop there, too).

She laid eggs recently: three of them.

And before the first one came out, she gave us a pretty big scare, as noted last week.

But, motherly duties over, she’s now back to her co-dependent best, if not quite as chirpy as she can be. And she never fails to find the warmth, so it’s good to be close to her at the traditionally coldest time of the year.