I sat in the office the other morning.  I had come in to check my e-mail in-box and to visit my favorite blogs quickly before getting away from the computer.  For the past week I’ve been having problems with pain in my right hand.  Early this week, I realized that it was early symptoms of  carpal tunnel syndrome.  I had that about 12 years ago, but it cleared up with help from a wrist brace and wrist rests for mouse and keyboard.  I gave the wrist brace to someone who needed it, but I have the mouse and keyboard rests.  They are back in place.  Now.

As I sat here composing Thursdays post, I heard a familiar and unique sound.  It was a cardinal.  I looked out the window.

Then, as I looked out the window, I saw the burning bush move.  Not the whole bush, just a couple of twigs.  I sat up a bit and saw him.  It was a cardinal.  I thought about reaching for the camera, but realized that it would only frighten him away.  Also, I’d have to shoot through the screen, and that doesn’t work well at all.  What a joy to watch him hop among the branches.   One more experience that I couldn’t capture in an image, but that I wanted to share with you.

Do you watch for those magical moments?  It would be nice to have an image of the goshawk swiftly flying into land among the pines.  Or the bald eagle that flew very low over the house.  Then there was the turkey buzzard that started to land on a dead branch, which broke under the weight.  Br’er buzzard very deftly landed on another, more secure branch.  There was the time we were returning home and the setting sun’s reflection turned the windows of our house to gold.  I rushed into the house, picked up the camera and ran out to find that the moment had passed.

The familiar saying is, “A bird in the had is worth two in the bush.”  Or in this case, a cardinal in the burning bush will be gone when you go out with the camera.  Right?
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