Why Did the Eagle Cross The Road?

An Eagle threw a dead carcass of some animal on the ice and feasted. We watched the eagle soar to the trees across the lake, where he joined another Eagle high in the treetops on the other side. The eagles kept flying right over our window, while I lounged around on the sofa and read my book.  The bird’s appearance seemed to suddenly be so ordinary that I thought, I’ll grab my camera later and grab a picture.  Still, I did call my brother and his family over, and 12 of us passed binoculars from person to person, as we pointed and coached each other to the spots where the Eagles were at this particular second. Soon, both birds left the trees and soared away from the lake.

The next day we hoped to coax the Eagles back to the lake by throwing a ham bone onto the frozen lake. Instead, we attracted the neighborhood dog, and later a couple of other familiar dog faces.

All week, at the lake, I’ve been waiting for the Eagle to come back; the next time I’ll be ready; and I’ll grab my camera.

I look across the stillness of the lake, over the yards at the empty houses, and I miss our summertime neighbors. Yet, when I see a patch of green grass, I can almost hear the rhythms of winter giving way to make room for spring. Then, I remember how I keep forgetting to order my seeds for next summer’s garden.

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3 comments to “Why Did the Eagle Cross The Road?”
  1. Wow! I’ve never actually seen an eagle in the wild. Buzzards and the odd kestrel but that’s about it. Must be quite nice to have all that water, ice and silence to yourself at times, though, however nice the neighbours are (a transparently cityboy perspective for you…)

  2. We were canoeing over the summer and I looked up to see a bald eagle overhead. It was amazing. All I could do was sit there and watch it.

    Last winter in Yellowstone, though, I wasn’t so frozen (Oddly enough! I froze in the summer and moved in the winter) and got a few good shots. Although that eagle was higher than the summer one.

    Thus, I understand the lack of pictures. Sometimes, all you can do is sit and absorb the sight.

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