The Outing
Photo by Dr. Chris Mann
My little corgi dog, Gracie, and I often take a late afternoon walk to the beach. Last week on a cold, rainy winter day we trotted to the top of the community stairs. I was busy unlocking the gate, as we have done hundreds of times.
All of a sudden Gracie started barking. I looked up thinking another neighbor might be coming up the stairs, but I could not see anyone. Her barking got more intense and then I saw it. Not ten feet from us perched on the top stair railing between two wild rose bushes was a full adult bald eagle. I squatted down and told Gracie I could see the eagle and we should be quiet.
The bird was staring at us from ten feet away. Hmmm . . . . I thought. We may not be going down to the beach. The bird had an intensity of presence and its wings were slightly hanging down as if trying to get dry in the rain, or perhaps it was injured. I was not sure.
Slowly, I opened the gate. Gracie was on a perfect heel. The bird remained motionless. We stopped. Three creatures sharing the same ten foot, wild edge of Whidbey Island sized one another up. In a split second the eagle raised its powerful wings and abdicated the space. Gracie bolted back through the gate. And the ordinary afternoon walker was reminded again of the potential for wonder in every outing.
How special! What a lovely moment to treasure. Have you ever seen one up so close before?
What a gift I am so happy you and Gracie received. But of course! And now we can visualize it and receive the gift too.
Perhaps he wasn’t so much sizing you up as he was filled with awe and wonder at human and dog! Just a thought.
Oh amazing! Whenever we’re down at our cabin and see eagles on our morning walk to the river… well that is a good day. We watch them with wonderment, and that moment that they lift off from the trees to fly away I always feel a little sad. There’s just something about being in their presence.
Absolutely beautiful!
Wat a joy to have discovered your blog, Ann. Now I can follow in real time your insights and discoveries. Your book, “Deep Water Passage” was a gift to me in more ways than one. And now to have this connection of sorts with you and Christina, a coast to coast spiritual line (I live in Maine and it’s snowing again!) through Peer Spirit and now this blog is another gift. Thank you, as a previous writer stated, for passing on your thoughts and images to us. It inspires me to get out there more and explore and experience for myself.
aRLENE Tallberg
Eliot, Maine