Buffeted by Life

I've been reading a book (Soul Dust: The Magic of Consciousness by Nicholas Humphrey) that has large chunks devoted to discussing the joy in being alive. He quotes all sorts of things - poetry, philosophy, plays... that I think fit perfectly in a blog of happy things. They also make me happier when I read them, as if by osmosis.

Here is my first favourite:

"A common feature of the hot, dry inland of Australia is the dust devil or willy-nilly, a small vortex with winds about 60 kilometers per hour. It can carry dust hundreds of meters into the air... A common native bird, the galah, has been seen flying into these whirlwinds and being hurled upwards, screeching loudly. On reaching the top, the galahs fly down and enjoy another ride by re-entering the vortex near the ground. There is one report of a flock of galahs flying into a much less common and more dangerous tornado. The winds, spinning at over 100 kilometers per hour, immediately spat them out, screeching with delight."

~Report in New Scientist, 29 Oct. 1994