The Eagle is still Flying
Today I went back to Goose Pond to try and practice birds in flight shooting techniques. The familiar honk of the domestic geese greeted me as they waddled up to the truck to see if I remembered the bread. I went to the opposite side of the pond thinking I could get closer to where the Canada Geese and ducks were landing the day before. The cloud cover made for poor light and photo opportunities but I decided to use the time to improve my skills and wanted to concentrate on the ducks. They were much quicker than the geese and I tried to capture them as best I could in the light. Alas I did not have much luck. Then I had an encounter that still leaves me wondering.
As I sat in my folding chair, coffee nearly gone, I noticed a large dark shape against the sky approaching from the west. It looked like a buzzard profile at first with its wings outstretched and soaring. Something was different though. I grabbed my camera and pointed it at the bird, trying to focus as it flew overhead and clicked twice. I recognized it now. It was a Great Bald Eagle, the symbol or our nation. Before I could get off a third shot it I was blocked from my view by a tree. The eagle landed on top of a nearby high voltage power line pole not far away that was running through the area. The eagle was just a dark silhouette against the bright backlit clouds behind it. The symbol of this nation appeared very tired as it perched there, its head bent over as if it had the weight of the world on its once mighty wings. I got up and started walking towards the power lines, hoping the eagle would stay long enough for me to get a photo. As I approached the power lines, the eagle remained still and just stared straight ahead. It became more erect and stood there as if trying to recharge itself from the power lines. It glanced down at me then looked eastward and slowly lifted its wings and slipped off its perch. He still looked tired as he glided away. It was as if the effort was in vain to regain its power.
I don’t know what it all meant but it leaves me wondering still. Some will say Harry, you just saw an eagle, that is all. The unrest inside me says different. I don’t know the answer, at least not yet. As a former weatherman I was taught to observe the signs, the changes and patterns in the sky. They are a harbinger of things to come. Storm clouds are brewing. But the eagle is still flying. Be Blessed. Harry
A Bald Eagle silhouettes the sky above me with tattered wings.
The Eagle lands on a high voltage power line. He lowers his head as if tired, the weight of the world on its wings.
It appears solemn, watching, trying to regain its strength as if it it could tap into the lines.
Resolved, it slowly rises and slips its perch.
The eagle is still flying.