Today I Saw An Eagle

The photo’s in this article were taken by my friend Nancy Janson this month at Conowingo Dam. When I saw her pictures a few weeks ago, all I could think is that I really wish I could see something like this. Thank you, Nancy, for allowing me to use your beautiful photographs in my article this week. ~ Stephanie

My husband and I have seen more and more American Bald Eagles getting closer and closer to where we live. While driving down the driveway, one of these majestic birds flew right in front of my windshield, taking off from the ground. I stopped to watch him get higher and higher in the sky and saw another join him. While watching them swoop and dip in the sky, a young eagle joined in their fun. About an hour later, while leaving to take a ride, my husband saw yet another pair in the nearby farm field.

It is days like this that make me glad that my cell phone is a camera. I could snap a quick shot of this pair even though I could not think fast enough to get a picture of the first one earlier this morning. It is moments like this that I sometimes wish I had a good camera with me. I thought about how lucky I really was that I got to see these eagles up close in the wild. It really is hard to put into words how I felt watching these birds. I felt peaceful.  Just taking the time to enjoy watching them brought me joy. I got to thinking about how much this world has been upside down.

There is something about being reminded of all the things that remain the same. Many of you have written to me since we closed the garden center about how Behnke’s was your happy place. Where you could go and breathe. I always liked hearing these stories from you, knowing that we helped a little bit by creating a place enjoyed by so many. Was it the beauty and smells of all the plants? Or the people that you counted on to smile at you while you looked around?

My hope for this New Year is that you find more ways to find some peaceful moments. To take time for those deep cleaning breaths and embrace all that we still have around us. Maybe a Winter snowfall, or the way the air feels and smells after a heavy rainstorm. What about looking up at the night sky last week, searching to see that once in a lifetime star and know that millions of other people were doing just the same thing. It might even be dreaming of your Spring garden. Or maybe, just maybe, it’s the beauty of a soaring American Bald Eagle!

Happy 2021 my friends!