She’s putting up a last fight. Right before I am scheduled to leave her behind, the city of glass is attempting to steal my heart again. After a seemingly endless - but normal - stretch of rain and grey weather, this morning shines like a single jewel on a forgotten crown.
It started as I was leaving home. About to turn right towards the bus stop, I spotted a flock of birds on the beach and a closer look revealed crows harassing a beautiful bald eagle. The bird of prey eventually landed just by the water and the crows having given up, it just sat there, prince of the sand and king of the moment.
I forgot about my bus and hurried to the beach for a closer look. The eagle was the size of four seagulls, perfect white head on an ink-black body. Just as I stared, a harbour seal popped up a mere 15 feet away from the bird, stared at it calmly for a while and then went on with his bouncing morning swim. Up, down, up, down.
A fog bank was receding offshore, revealing the freighters at anchor one after another but still hiding the opposite landmass in a dark menacing shroud. And behind me, to the east, the sun was beginning to sip through the clouds. The mountains were standing out in all their glory and I took a deep breath.
« Nice try, » I said to the city, « but no luck. I love you very much, but no matter what you do to impress me, next week at the same time I will be be visiting your long lost sister Cape Town, a half a world away and a hemisphere across. It will be summer, the table cloth will be clinging to its mountain, the wind might howl and time will take on a new dimension. I will have left beauty behind only to find it again ahead. And more important, I will be whole. »
« She gave you a present because she will miss you...I know how she feels.
Date of comment: 2008-12-11 14:15 •How wonderful to see a bald eagle up close. How unusual for it to be on the sand. What a funny name for such a majestic animal. Our African fishing eagle looks very similar. I wonder if their cry is the same? It’s the sound of Africa to me. But has it been the sound of America all this time???
I really like the idea of sun sipping the clouds, but I think it may have been slipping
The size of four seagulls, impressive, but it also cracked me up, lol. Imagining for seagulls piled on top of each other...
See you soon. »
« LOL It was an intentional typo. Not sure how incorrect it is, but I like it.
»
Date of comment: 2008-12-11 15:22 •« How wonderful to see « See you soon » on Marie’s post.
Date of comment: 2008-12-12 07:03 •How exciting it must be.
How thrilled I am for the two of you.
Don’t let the happiness of this moment
sip by without aknowledging it fully. »
« I agree with Anonymous. I also fully understand and have experienced (twice) the sadness of leaving Vancouver, and its fresh damp air.
Date of comment: 2008-12-19 08:36 •I am sure I am not alone in saying I look forward to hearing about your new life in your new home, Vinnie! Merry Christmas! »