The beauty of the natural wonders we have available to us in Northern California, like the moon rising behind the Bay Bridge, still takes my breath away.

I had one of the most amazing encounters I've ever had in my life a couple of weeks ago. I had to drop by my school to straighten out some paperwork. I parked my car and got out, only to hear this enormous crash in a nearby tree. I looked up and there was a huge brown bird sort of swinging upside-down from a branch. I knew it couldn't be one of the resident Canadian geese, so I was really curious to see what was going on.

By the time I got to the tree, the bird had righted itself on a sturdier limb. I looked up and found myself face-to-face with a hawk! I'm used to seeing them soaring high overhead, but I have never in my life been within ten feet of one. I tried to get some shots with my camera phone, but, unfortunately, it's nearly impossible to see it in the photos. When I first saw the hawk, it had a tiny (dead) bird in it's beak. Of course, that tugged at my soft heart and I suggested that maybe it should pick on someone it's own size. The hawk looked back at me as if to say, "I wasn't THAT hungry...and mind your own business, human!"

Until that afternoon, I had no idea how big and solid--and truly beautiful--a wild hawk is. I feel so lucky that I got to see it (and also that it didn't decide it was hungrier than it thought and have a go at me).

So, yes, it does reassure me that, no matter what kind of day I'm having, I can still get excited over the beauty of my environment.

NOW GROOVIN' TO: Rollin' Stone from the album "The Best Of Muddy Waters" by Muddy Waters

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