Feathered Distraction And The Rake's Progress

 Yesterday was one of these days about which people in condos can only dream. It was a clear, bright day with temperatures well below zero in the morning but edging towards double digits as the sun warmed the landscapes. The cheery rays gave a dappling effect to the lawn and forest floor as light was filtered through the resident pine and soon-to-be umbrous oak.

Glorious.

I arose happily, breakfasted, then waited as my sole intention for the day was to rake clear the flower beds from their prison of oak leaves, twigs and various other debris ('fitever' Priscilla threw over the fence...haha!). The raking started just before noon.

It wasn't long before I spotted, peripherally, a large bird flying over the edge of my lake shore. An osprey! The osprey seemed fixated with something in the lake, undoubtedly a fish. The osprey circled and then started its descent but not at a traditional angle. Osprey typically take a perpendicular, 90 degree angle of attack and plunge into the water, but this osprey was swooping down to the water's surface like an eagle looking to snatch and fly. Why, you ask?

As overnight temperatures had been -10 degrees, there was a slight 'skiff' of ice on the surface of the lake. The osprey couldn't break the icy surface with its talons and its lunch went unclaimed. I think it must have been a dead fish trapped in the ice because, over the course of the afternoon, I noticed the osprey returned three times to claim its meal. No luck. The 'skim' of ice never let up for the entire day.

Today I'll be raking another 'swath' of the property. I'm pretty sure what I'll find on the ground. Underneath the debris, new shoots of green are already starting to emerge. I had my first crocus flowering yesterday. In the sky, who knows what airborne distractions will take me away from my raking? The skies aren't exactly black with migrating birds but there always seems to be something flitting or soaring. It's a nice time of year to celebrate the resurrection of life.

In a note unrelated to my last sentence....Happy Good Friday! It is Friday, right? I really have no idea now that I'm back in the boonies. It is definitely good. That much I know.