In Flight

We are blessed to live among a large variety of birds near our home.  One of the most fascinating is the Great Blue Heron, whom we affectionately call "Heathcliff".  The blue heron is at once awkward and elegant, slow and swift.  He perches motionless atop a small tree stump in the lake, surveying the waters for his next meal of fish.  Patiently he waits, then suddenly takes flight from the stump, the only sound a "whoosh whoosh" from his 7 foot wing span as he quickly gains altitude, his long legs trailing behind.

You wonder at first if this huge, long legged bird, will be able to fly any distance.  But, in a few seconds he is effortlessly aloft, taking advantage of the wind currents and looking as graceful as a ballerina.  Then, he suddenly banks to one side and descends rapidly toward the water, and just as you think "this is it - the poor thing is going to crash and burn" - he lands on the water's surface with barely a splash while simultaneously lowering and tucking his 7 feet of wings comfortably into his sides.

After breathing a sigh of relief that I didn't witness the tragic death of such a magnificent bird, I pause and consider the beauty of the sum of all his traits.  Each trait on it's own is not all that impressive, but when you put the whole package together - WOW!  Now, you've really got something!

Be love and be blessed!