The Eagle has Landed...by Gina Waite

I was driving home from a busy day,  when I looked up at a huge Elm tree  in my neighbors yard and saw, what I thought, was a large kite...stuck in the "V" of one of the lead branches. It was Fall in Southeast Idaho and thanks to one of our typical "Idaho" windstorms, most of the leaves had blown off and exposed the skeleton of the tree (those of you not accustom to walking out into an Idaho windstorm...it's the equivalent of putting your head underneath one of those very intense hand dryer's and hoping you still have hair when it turns off.)  The next day, most of the foliage had been blown off the Elm (see aforementioned Idaho wind analogy) and I realized it was not a kite stuck in the tree...it was a large nest!

As I was driving away from the tree, I viewed the large nest in my rear-view mirror and just had to go get a better view of it.   I quickly flipped a u-ey (as my teenage son, who drives, may be reading this, let me clarify...I carefully surmised whether it  was an appropriate place to make a U-turn, could see clearly both directions, with hands placed at 6 and 12 o'clock...gently accelerated about-face.)  Now heading toward the tree, I turned my van  into the driveway of my neighbors who happened to be housing the tree with the nest!
As I pulled into the circular driveway leading directly up to the tree in question, I was astonished to notice the size of branches used to fortify the nest.  It's about this time that visions of my Mother's post about the WWII picture of the officers holding the dead pterodactyl out by it's wingspan (Opting for Mystery and Adventure) popped up into my mind.  The thought, "What bird could possibly claim home to the huge nest in this tree," kept recycling through my cerebrum.  As I sat there pondering the size of the hawk that must inhabit this nest, a huge bald eagle glided over the top of my car and used it's large wings, as a rudder, to slow it's pace until it gently glided to the edge of the nest.  (The picture was taken from the very tree...isn't it AWESOME?)

I sat there observing, not wanting to move, as I viewed this amazing raptor...truly could NOT believe what I was seeing!  Not long after I arrived there, a second bald eagle glided above me and claimed a position at the edge of the nest...just on the opposite edge from the eagle that had already landed!  I was almost speechless...not one bald eagle but two and just to witness the wing span and flight pattern as they glided to their nest, was something this girl will never forget!  I quickly called my Mother, who was always a most enthusiastic birdwatching beauty, and told her of the experience I was having.  She told me, "stay awhile and watch them...they will sit patiently and observe their surroundings until they know that they will be accurate in the  movements they make!"  Knowing my Mom was telling me to reflect more than just on the habits of these birds, I decided to stay and watch for a time.  I realized that besides having a bird's-eye view of the environment they live in, they do wait patiently and time movements so as to be 100% accurate...how awesome is that!

Wouldn't a bird's-eye view of life be fantastic...to know what was coming, and what would be best, and have the ability to be patient about all of that!  I know now that I would have requested a MUCH longer phone call with my Mom that day!  With the loss of my Mom and the perspective I have now, I don't have regrets about things... I have regrets about people and my treatment of them.  To be able to be patient and time things, just perfectly, would be a wonderful gift!  Patience, a great virtue, I would love to be 100% accurate in!