I’d slept poorly again, waking from my perennial stress dream of failing brakes to putter around the house for several hours. Now, I was bleary-eyed, logy and slightly grumpy–out of focus and out of sorts.
I drove the back roads to work, faintly resenting the need to go in–wishing for a more reasonable schedule or at least some flexibility. Wishing for a good night’s sleep. It was a grey morning–literally and figuratively.
Suddenly, ahead of me I spied the silhouette of a large bird, flying low in the sky. My interest perked. What’s that? Is that a white head?
Sighting bald eagles is common here, but still never fails to thrill me. This one flew low over the road, then over my car. Its powerful wings pumped once, twice, and it soared over and behind me. I swiveled around to see where he went, my view obstructed by trees. Then, remembering I was driving, I quickly and reluctantly returned my attention to the road. Wasn’t he a beauty?
A few minutes later, I rounded a corner and up ahead, three minks undulated across the road in a sinuous wave of dark fur, one after another, practically nose to tail.
“Whoa!” I said, my foot easing off the gas. My jaw dropping. While eagles are commonly spotted here, it’s unusual to spy one mink, let alone three! And just like that, the grey buzz of irritation around me lifted like a morning fog under the rising sun. It felt like there was a blessing on the day. I was in exactly the right place at the right time.
In an instant, the minks slipped into the undergrowth and out of sight. I was so grateful to have seen them–so buoyed once again by the beauty that surrounds me. I pressed on the gas and drove by the spot where they’d disappeared. They were nowhere in sight. But in my mind and in my heart, I carried the wondrous image of them crossing the road, silhouetted against the morning light.
I drove the rest of the way to school with a smile on my face.
Nix the comfort zone 
We have this in common, the lure of nature, the uplifting of the heart. I can be tired and grumpy and head out for my morning walk to be lifted by the hoot of an owl. I love this line, “And just like that, the grey buzz of irritation around me lifted like a morning fog under the rising sun.”
I have never seen a mink. I didn’t even know we had them in the states. Amazing!
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I love sharing that love of nature with you, Margaret! I’m always fascinated by when you write about your Louisiana environment–so different from Maine! So different, yet the “uplifting of the heart” is the same…
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Funny that Margaret pulled the same line I did—“the grey buzz of irritation around me lifted like a morning fog under the rising sun.” You could do so much with this string of words! Great slice, full of contrasts and lovely images.
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Thanks, Melanie. It was such an unexpectedly delightful ride to school.
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Great details to really paint the scene! The moment when you swiveled around to look at the eagle is my favorite! Glad your morning improved!
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Thanks! I’m really not sure how I’ve managed to avoid accidents while driving. I’m far more interested in what’s in the sky or the trees than in what’s on the road before me!
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So many beautiful lines! I know well that “grey buzz of irritation.” And “…three minks undulated across the road in a sinuous wave of dark fur…” “Undulated” perfectly captures the movement in this scene. You’ve inspired me.
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Thanks! They really did undulate across. I wonder if it was a parent and children.
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“A few minutes later, I rounded a corner and up ahead, three minks undulated across the road in a sinuous wave of dark fur, one after another, practically nose to tail.” Such an awesome line!!!! Nature has such powers to heal. You were clearly open to its healing powers.
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Thanks, Adrienne. The wonders of nature are inspiring and amazing. The older I get, the more open I am to those “healing powers”.
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It’s truly amazing how much nature gives us when we take the time to see. We’ve had a pair of eagles and a nest of baby eagles to watch all summer. They are very rare here on Long Island. It amazed me how many people came time and again just to gaze at the nest, hoping for a sighting. We all crave nature as an antidote to our overly busy lives. As others have said in their responses…your language is exquisite in this post.
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Thanks, Barbara. Bird-watching is addictive and I can imagine how much you enjoyed watching those eagles and their young. What a treat!
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This slice felt so refreshing. I felt along with you at every turn: the underslept fogginess, the moment of surprise and wonder at the appearance of the eagle, the bubbling of gratitude and humility in the face of nature’s gifts… Truly a pleasure to have been taken along on this trip.
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Thanks! It was refreshing to experience as well. I’m always grateful that I have such a beautiful commute to work. This particular morning was especially delightful.
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“It felt like a blessing on the day”. THAT is my favorite line. Sometimes, actually, often blessings come when we least expect them….surprise blessings! Again, the images you capture with words of all you saw are clearly painted. Thanks so much for sharing!
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Thanks! It was a thoroughly appreciated blessing and carried me through the day. Even now, every time I think back on those minks, I smile.
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Mmm.. so many beautiful lines here – and people have commented on many of them. The way you write about nature communicates your love and its beauty all at the same time. A blessing not just for you but for all of us who read this. I, too, am “buoyed once again by the beauty that surrounds me.” Thanks.
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Thank you, Amanda. I’m so glad that my love and appreciation for nature comes through in my writing.
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I was right there with you admiring those wonderful moments of nature right before our eyes – changing our mood and demeanor for the better! Eagles and minks all in one day! Lucky you!
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I know, right!?! Seeing the minks was stunning….my mouth literally dropped open and I think I repeated “Whoa” or some variation of that multiple times.
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I’ve spotted an eagle a handful of times. They’re majestic! How fortunate you are to have the opportunity to witness them fly above.
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Last spring I spotted 7 or 8 eagles all together on some driftwood in a saltwater marsh. Wow! I am indeed fortunate.
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A little gift to you from the universe. Wven though you felt out of sorts,you were open to beauty and allowed your mood to be lifted.
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I was thoroughly grateful for the gift!
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Yours is a challenging, exhausting job. You and all the teaching heroes in your school have earned these moments of nature’s joy. Do you have class meetings each day? Do you have time to? Do you share these joys in your life and have time to listen to the joys of your students?
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Ah…time…I have a bare bones class meeting every day, but time for sharing is very limited. I did disrupt the entire class the other day when a heron flew low by our windows. We all rushed over to see 🙂 It was lovely!
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Have you seen this quote from Michael Chikilis “The most challenging part of being a dad is self-restraint. So often your instinct is to teach and tell. I am constantly reminding myself to listen to them.” Probably is the same for our students.
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What a great quote and important to remember. It’s way too easy to talk too much in the teacher role!
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