I'm sure you've seen buzzards circling high up in the sky. They are coasting on the thermals, their keen eyes and nostrils sensitive to any problems requiring nature's equivalent of haz/mat/crime scene clean up technicians.
I see them all the time, often swooping down low, casting their shadows across the yard like the smoke monster in Lost. Occasionally, a few will land in a dead tree in the back pasture where they can scope out the road and canal to the north. This annoys the dogs who bark obsessively at these seriously unattractive, bald-headed carrion hunters.
Until last week, I never really looked up in the sky when local buzzards were playing in the thermals above the house. Saturday, the phrase "soaring with eagles" took on an entirely new meaning for me. Eagles? I'm sure you're wondering why, all of a sudden we're talking about eagles, the symbol of our country, those beautiful, enormous, white headed, white tailed patriarchs of the winds. We were discussing buzzards.
Here is the connection. The other day I discovered eagles often soar with buzzards. I happened to look up as a shadow crossed the yard. The buzzard who caught my eye had a white head and a white tail. I looked again at this huge bird and realized I was watching an eagle as he circled upward into the sky, surrounded by a dozen buzzards.
I learned a very important lesson. Always look up. Even though there are buzzards in the sky, you may just spot an eagle if you look hard enough.
Jim and I are enjoying your stories. keep them coming. We miss "the Farms" and your stories reminds us of our dear friends (You and Dan, and others) and what we loved about our life there. We don't miss Florida, in general, just "the Farms". I often said that if one had to live in Florida (south Florida in particular) "the Farms" was the place to be. It certainly is an oasis, a respite from the frenzy much of south Florida creates.
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