Yesterday Something Amazing Happened

I had decided that I was going to go and buy running shoes. (No that's not it) Paul had gotten me a gift card for Christmas so that I could go and pick some shoes out. I was dressed and ready to go around 10:00 a.m. This is so not normal for me. Usually I do a load of laundry after Andrew leaves, hang out in my robe and don't shower until around that time. (or later truth be told) But amazingly yesterday morning was different. Right before I left I was eating a bowl of granola that I could hardly choke down. I had had enough. I went to the sink to dump it. I got a glass of water to wash it down with and notice a large brown thing in my neighbor's tree. Everything is brown and dead and ugly right now. It's really hard to distinguish one brown thing from another. 

What the heck is that? I wondered. It looked almost like a giant wasp nest but surely I would have noticed that before. Then I see movement. Oh my gosh it's a bird! A really really large bird. All of a sudden I see a little bit of white. NO! It can't be. Right there in my kitchen I have a moment. I can't believe what I am seeing. I run to the piano and grab my camera off of it and head to the back porch. 

I zoom in and sure enough I am looking at a 

BALD EAGLE

 and it is practically in my back yard. 

I'm not close enough to get a good picture of it. Luckily I am dressed (Seriously a miracle but honestly it wouldn't have stopped me. I would have been out there in my bright red robe, holes and all, if that's what it took) so I walk across the lawn and try to get closer. It still isn't good enough. I tear across my yard toward the front yard. I run to my neighbor door and knock because I want to share this excitement with someone so badly, but no one answers. I can't wait any longer. I head up the hill trying to be quiet but it isn't easy. There is so much gravel I feel like a bull in a china shop. I can tell it hears me. I get as close as I can. I get a few pictures and obviously it had had enough and off it flew. I stood there taking pictures, my heart racing and my mouth gaping open.

It was amazing!

This is a bird that I wasn't sure would even still be around when I was an adult. I heard so much about it being endangered as a kid. This is our national bird. A symbol of freedom. A truly magnificent creature. The wing span was huge. I've never seen anything like it. I feel so lucky to have seen it. I keep looking out the window hoping it comes back. I can't tell you how thrilling this was for me. 

These first two pictures are taken from my back yard. 

I've had to crop them to get closer and they aren't in perfect focus because I had my zoom out so far and I didn't have anything to help steady my camera. There wasn't time. Even with their imperfections I am thrilled to have them. 

I still, a day later, keep saying to myself. I saw a bald eagle, in the wild and that's my backyard! Wow. There aren't words.