Nikki, a co-worker passed away over the weekend. I'm in shock, as are my other coworkers. What a mixed up bundle of emotions. Half of me wants to crawl into a hole, and the other half is still reeling from the weekend's birding. Coworkers informed me this morning that I was on television last night - in the news report which was also featured in the 'coming up next on KCRA' shots.
The filming happened at the site where I saw the Ovenbird. The news guys came out to photograph the Snowy owl, which has flown. So the news crew decided to film one of the guys walking around. I was in the background, photographing that Ruby-crowned Kinglet from yesterday and listening to the interview. Whomever they interviewed must have been a student at Davis - he sounded like an ornithologist.
So this morning I came into work all abuzz with the news on the Owl, Ovenbird, Trumpeter Swans, Blue Jay, the Laysan Albatross in Stockton and other signs of the Apocalypse, when I noticed the email about Nikki.
Poor Nikki - she was maybe forty now. She suffered from severe rheumatoid arthritis but it was pneumonia that overcame her. She was so tiny and frail but feisty - had the heart of a lioness. Haven't seen her much more than a couple times a month now that we're in this hell-hole of a gigantic state building downtown but I always enjoyed speaking with her.
Hey Nikki, I know you're romping around now, caneless, with Thunder the Rottweiller at your heels and and hopping at your side is Mr... what was the name of that HUMONGOUS rabbit she loved? Mr Hunny Bunny. Hop on, all of you.
