i shot an eagle...

...today

can you just believe - on a very windy - blue sky - sunny day - there, high in the sky - flying - was an eagle! of all things...

i had seen him the other week - at one of the lakes i like to visit - but he was too far away - too high in the sky for me to capture - he was really too high today, too - but i tried anyway - and the shot is not my best - but i don't care - he was tempting me - by flitting just close enough (when you don't have your telephoto lens with you) - playing with some ducks who were also flying through the air - i managed to catch him flying with them as well - but that shot is further out - so i decided to go with this one - even though - with the wind - it ended up not being as sharp as i'd like it to be

but i haven't fussed with it - it's sootc - the only thing i've done is a very slight cropping - otherwise, he's as gorgeous as i saw him - and i tell you - each time i glance at him - my heart begins to race - just a bit - with the disbelief that an eagle was actually flying towards me - it was hard not to do - a little happy skippy dance - along the shoreline - for then he really would've been out of focus - i had enough to contend with - with the wind - who knows if i'll ever have another opportunity to see one of these greats soaring through the air - once i managed to get off only 3 shots as he very rapidly went by - he was gone - no matter how hard i kept looking - he never reappeared up in that blue sky - no trace - it was like he'd never been there - yet i have the proof -

again, it may not be the absolute best picture you'll ever see - the sharpest - most perfect of detail - but it's mine - reflective of a moment i experienced with nature - a simple moment - which made for...

a

happy day.....