I got so excited when I saw the old Great Blue back at our pond this morning. Mind you, it’s in the low 20’s here. Despite sun, winter still has a fist hold on us, regardless of what the calendar says.

So when I saw him, I thought it must be warmer than I realized. Of course, he’s a tough old bird. Often hangs around well into October, past the first frost. As if to make his point, here he is, back before it’s safe to remove the leaf blanket from gardens. Even if five drooping snowdrops ARE trying to act as perky harbingers of spring.

But what became clear to me was that something as majestic as this bird – with all his attendant symbolism to me (subject to a new poem in progress)  – must be enjoyed in the moment. Not captured in any medium, least of all film.

As you can see, my poor attempt failed miserably. The click of the camera scared him right into the air. Maybe it’s my poor eyesight. Maybe it’s the setting on the camera. Whatever the reason, he remains clearest in my memory of passing within ten feet of him in the car before he even realized I was there. Clearly, that’s the way it should be for us.

In response to WP Daily Prompt. [First photo, enhanced to show him more clearly; second, as taken.]