Annie Dillard's piece made me realize that a nature essay should have a moral to it. Even though she's writing about weasles she has a strong moral hidden within her words. She notes that we should all live like weasels, by never letting go when an opportunity arrises. Never ever let go of it.
I almost let an opportunity go.
Late last year, Dr. Chandler asked two other students and me to attend a convention out in Albuquerque, New Mexico. I'm the type of person who would say yes because I wouldn't want to let anyone down. And so I said yes and spent the next three months in throes of sheer panic. All the way up to February 7th (the plane ride to New Mexico) I felt this panic. But as we got there and I settled down in the Bed & Breakfast, I began to feel better and soon enough, began to relax and enjoy myself.
One of the nature aspects was when we visited Bosque del Apache Habitat to watch the Cranes and Snow Geese take off all at once when the sun rose. They didn't do exactly that - each 'family' of birds took off together. It was so amazing to see. We then went on a tour of the Habitat to try and see the ducks, cranes, snow and canadian geese, sparrows, cuotes, ravens and other birds. When we finally got around to the cranes and snow geese (where they were in the field), they picked and flew off together. A whole gackle of birds taking flight, so close to the car and it was AMAZING.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
1 comment:
I swear I commented on this before, but I will write it again. Thank you so much for writing this and I can't wait to read your whole essay. That drive up to see the Snow Geese and the Sand Hill Cranes and all the different ducks - I remember it. It *was* cold, and the moon was setting on one side (it was almost full) and the sun was rising on the other, and we stopped at that rest stop with the board walk and it could have been the beach except that there was no ocean. And when we got there it was just starting to be pink and pearly light and all the birds were camped out in the water beside the road, their heads tucked. We were facing the sunrise, and we watched it come up - waiting for the "flyout" which never really quite took off - until we got to the field latern in the morning. We were so lucky to see all the birds - really - they were there a little later than they usually are and we could have missed them all together if it had been warmer.
Post a Comment