Wednesday, February 7, 2018

A Little Bit Blue, A Little Bit Birds

We've officially reached that part of an Iowa winter where we start asking ourselves(only half jokingly) why the heck we still live in this place. Everything is cold, dry, dusty, dull, and every shade of sad imaginable.



Yesterday, the sky was so pale it pretty much matched the snow. Even the sun was no match for the power of the great cold colorlessness. Kinda hard to feel anything but a little bit cranky, tired, and bored.

It is amazing what a little bit of color and few dozen big, majestic birds can do to lift the spirits though. We drove to the river this morning, with steaming cups of espresso spiked, blackberry hot chocolate and watched bald eagles, who were perched in the trees and diving and swooping over the river. Those big, beautiful bodies against a background of blue sky and puffy clouds was a soothing balm for our winter worn souls. 



Beautiful blue sky. And the dam.
 

Not an eagle, but still beautiful!



Sometimes I really dislike the cyclical nature of small town living. Every year is marked by the same repetitive events. New event ventures often fail because people don't seem to like to stray outside of their annual schedules of events. I find myself dreading highly celebrated annual festivals and craft shows because they are just the same thing over and over year after year. However, I will NEVER get tired of these gorgeous creatures making their annual appearance. They mark the beginning of each new year, and are a signal that winter's days are numbered. They have a gracefulness and elegance that is mesmerizing, and they are capable of magically lifting your spirits when they lift their wings.

I could never get tired of that.