From the new day…

The message of the weekend became very clear today. As I was kayaking on the peaceful evening water of Marsh Creek, the message could not be denied. It was “look up!” Yesterday, while watching the slow movements of a blue heron in the shallow water of its home pond, I was asked by a passerby if I had seen the goose in the tree.  Well, no, I hadn’t. Who would think to look for a goose in a tree?  But there he was, or maybe it was she, perched on a nest in the hollow of a dead tree limb. Presumably protecting its young, the goose hissed at me as I got too close for its comfort. What a pretty picture it made though, and one I would surely have missed had I not been instructed to look up.

Today, I heard the message again.  While kayaking, my eyes were scanning the tall trees that surrounded the lake. I spotted another blue heron, but this time it was perched near the top of a bare tree. My daughter and I paddled closer and sat quietly, being voyeurs of nature,  observing the heron's movements, until it took off and then we had the excitement of watching its distinct flying form take shape.  We then paddled a short distance parallel to the shoreline, and I spotted something else, something very rare. It was the first time I ever saw a bald eagle in the wild. There it stood, up high on the top of a leafless tree, in all its exposed majesty, looking just like you would expect, erect, observant and proud. I could hardly believe my eyes, especially after just seeing the heron. Another excited family of kayakers joined us when they realized what we were looking at. All of us watched it up high and then our eyes followed its path when it took off, allowing us to see its features, its coloring and observe the behavior of one of our national symbols.

"Look up!", the breath of this day said, and I listened and was rewarded. From beautiful architecture to pictures in the clouds to the wonders and mysteries of the night sky, looking up grants those who listen a myriad of visual blessings…another example of the universe giving and us receiving... if we are paying attention.

Giving thanks for the blessing of this day…