www.LisaLC.com
Hello Friends and Eagle Fans,
Today we were blessed with a blustery, winter storm. The air temperature hung around five degrees, in between the falling snow, but when those winds picked up it quickly dropped to -10 degrees with the wind chill. Still, I wouldn't have missed it. Not a chance.
I started out my morning with a surprise gift. I was getting brand new windshield wipers. That's really something I've take for granted. I never realized how important they were, how much I ignored their tearing at the sides, until a day like today blew in proving they were ineffective.
I thought I should start this blog, with a shot of the men snapping on my new wiper blades, my husband (left) and the salesman from SE Minnesota Auto Sales (right). Thank you, both of you for making my trip today a clear ride. God Bless.
I had to travel down some rather uncomfortable roads today. The plows hadn't caught up yet, and two or three times I hit two foot drifts, but managed through them. I hoped that once I changed counties the roads would get better, but that didn't happen either. The entire drive into the wild zone I found myself questioning whether I wanted to drive the extra ten miles back to see the other nests and the swans. I didn't. I really wanted to stay where I felt safer.
If I slid off, which has happened, when I pulled to the side of the road, well--the snow sucks you in like the pull of the ocean tide. I know you all would be disappointed if I didn't at least try. So I tried. I drove the distance through some rather deep snow.
I'm thankful for gut instinct and raw nerves. When I arrived at my first project area, the documentary I walked for 580 days, I found two eagles perched above the river watching perhaps for an unsuspecting muskrat, or the mink who lives near there who is also watching for
that unsuspecting muskrat, while avoiding the eyes of both eagles.
Eagles don't miss anything. They always know what is going on, far ahead of anyone else. I swear they read my license plates from a mile back. These two eagles are familiar with me. We've met before numerous times while I did my 580 day marsh. That's how I knew what tree to look in. I believe they could just be the nest three eagles. But there is another pair in that area to the west. I have not found their nest, but I know they must have one somewhere in that back swamp.
That would be a far stretch for them. Give me time, I'll get these eagles matched up with their nests.
I found the trumpeter swans stirring up the ponds muck and the mallards quacking, following closely behind for any food they may have missed.
The roads were deep with snow the entire journey, and I was thankful I didn't slide into any ditches today. I eventually made it all the way back to the fourth eagle nest, but I couldn't find it in the distance due to the white out. I kept backing up and looking, pulling forward. It was on my drive back to nest three that I spotted nest four, only briefly, when the snow stopped barely long enough to find it vacant, and I quickly photographed that.
All the nests were vacant today. I always say my best capture days are the stormy days, and it makes me wonder if the eagles and hawks have learned the same. The storm brings the creatures out--it doesn't bury them. We could all learn a lesson from that.
On my drive home I came upon a herd of cattle. I was entranced at the rapidly falling snow building up on their thick hides and I pulled over to photograph them. I wanted to capture the harshness of winter and how they stood facing the storm head on.
Another lesson on my path.
Looking forward to Day 10.
See you on the journey--
Lisa
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