Scratch Your Eyes Out!

While driving home from the post office, I noticed a hawk on the light post near the tennis court. I was only a block from home, so I grabbed my camera and headed back to the tennis court. The car door opened slowly as I tried to sneak up on the bird. It didn't work, because as I stepped out, it flew off of its perch.

Lucky for me, the bird landed on a tree not far from where I was parked. I put the zoom lens on my camera and started taking my pictures. I slowly stepped toward the tree. The bird was certainly watching me now. I paced in a semi circle around the tree. With every pass I got a little closer. It seemed to go on for an hour but it had only been about ten minutes. I continued to take pictures as I walked. As I took the camera down from my face, I realized I was now only about ten feet from this magnificent bird. The branch he was sitting on was only about seven feet off the ground. As I made my semicircular passes, he would turn his head to keep an eye on me.

He started to look a little twitchy and I realized I wouldn't be allowed to get much closer. I stood still for a moment, admiring this creature. That moment, I looked at the long, sharp, talons and realized this creature could claw my eyes out at any moment.

Images of me running back to the car screaming with a hawk tangled in my hair rushed through my head. I squinted my eyes thinking my eyelids would protect me in case of attack. I took two more pictures. Then I took a daring step toward the hawk to get even closer. The hawk took off and flew over the lake.

I walked back to the car. Not screaming, and with both my eyes intact.