The sun sets on another day…
I am sure sunet was amazing tonight, but I had a good early day and was not outside at the time. Intead, I enjoyed the moments and wrote for a few. That works, right?
There is a story a lot of people are aware of about how eagles fly into storms or fly over storms rather than under them. I used to think this was one of the best stories in the world until I looked at an actual group of avian researchers who made the statement that eagles conserve energy and don’t fly over the storm, instead they find shelter and ride out the storm like many other animals. The researchers clearly stated that the eagle could, but it wasn’t a good use of energy.
Although I was a little disappointed it made sense as eagles are not for sure where their next meal will come from and wasting a significant amount of energy flying to such heights would not be productive. It didn’t reduce my appreciation for these magnificent birds.
Today I had the privilege of spending time and watching the significant number of eagles cruise, fly, hunt, and play in the cool not quite spring air. I can say for sure that this was stunning. I can think of no better way to spend time or at least only a few.
It is hard to relay how impressive these animals are but I will tell a small story that will give you an idea. I find myself remembering this quite often. There are a number of eagles that live somewhere near or on my property. They are attracted because there is a blueberry field close and of course there are lots of animals they go to the blueberry field that become good meals for the eagles and hawks in the area. If you didn’t know, crows don’t like equals and one day I heard an eagle and a number of crows in the sky and stopped to watch. There were at least seven crows making massive noises as they tried to catch one eagle who is quite a bit larger than all of them. The eagle was floating in the sky at a reasonable rate of speed while all of the crows flapped their wings furiously trying to catch him. As I watched the first time I was a little concerned as the crows seem to be gaining and got closer and closer until they were within a few feet of being at the tail of the eagle. Then, with one flap of the wing the eagle shot forward 50 feet as the crows still furiously tried to catch up. It made me kind of laugh for a few minutes as I watched this cycle repeat as the crows got closer and closer and again the soaring eagle flapped once and the left them all.
I have also seen an altercation between crows and eagles And found that the eagles enjoy hunting in front of my window since there are numerous bird feeders there. What struck me about this particular interaction was the patience the eagle showed and the obvious ridiculousness of the situation. The crows were simply trying to run away and other predator so they would have more to eat but the eagle had no interest in them and even though he could have destroyed them, enjoyed the air and was ridiculously comical in their handling of the situation. I will always laugh about that day.
I will also remember today as we approached an eagle in a tree and kept asking the question, “I wonder how close he will let us get?”. At about 30 feet the answer was clear, “about that close.” Somehow, i was fast enough to get a few pictures and I hope you enjoy them.
So as the sun sets on another day, I think we should all be like the eagle. Why get all worked up when you can outrun just about anything. Why worry about the storm when you can ride it out. Why fly above unless you need to, isn’t it enough to know that you can? Why not just be patient until you can’t be and enjoy the currents of life regardless of those around you. Maybe that’s a good choice. Find your way and don’t let other people decide how you will react to your life. Be you every day, no matter what.
Sleep sweet, love life, and soar above…