Moose, Man and Beast

Peering into its cold, black eyes was like staring down the Devil himself.

There would be no mercy. No hesitation. No remorse. The entire world had been stripped away, leaving only the focused demand for boundless, unrestrained obliteration.

The first attack came fast and without warning. It was by reflex alone that I successfully evaded, passing my head by mere inches. The winged beast needed not even a moment’s recoil before unleashing subsequent thrashing, in fluid continuation of the first.

The picnic table area has fallen, ceded to this Avian Menace. The entire neighborhood now avoids the small clearing. Many even cross the street when passing by.

 Bluejays are nasty little buggers, excessively aggressive and territorial. Measuring 9 to 12 inches from bill to tail and weighing less than a quarter of a pound, they are absolutely unfazed by even enormous disparity in the size of what they choose to attack.

The whole incursion served as a reminder that I my overall level of fitness has... declined below the threshold of 'battle-ready.'