Wednesday, November 09, 2005

Ozarks Adventure: Day Five... Morning Hike, Big Bird and Familiar Sounds

Bed time now is greeted with a heavy sigh by all involved.

I have resolved myself to the fact that there is an exchange for all things. For 24 hours spent with Mom's attention, I must trade a small portion of the real estate I have grown accustomed to having in the sleeping hours. I'm good with it. It is not too much to ask.

But there IS a lingering question... This IS vacation... right? At this point, I don't know. Is this a getaway? Or is this our new home...? As a golden, by my very nature, I hate to reveal any sort of anxiety... But I do wonder...

I know the routine now, and upon waking (and just enough smooching), I wait patiently for Mom to don her hiking clothes. I know the reward... a long, relaxed hike... at whatever pace I choose.

THIS morning, I choose a LONG walk. It is particularly tranquil in sound, but I find interesting scents... side-to-side of the trail. About a quarter of a mile down the trail... Mom stalled just a little. We both heard a low gutteral sort of sound... I looked back at Mom and she said it was probably a bird...

We were nearing the narrowing of the lake toward the big long bridge, and to our right, the sun began to really glisten off of what I could see of the lake between the trees... very far below our elevation.

We reached a little of a clearing... and Mom stopped suddenly, as I flushed a big old bird. He was perched on a guardrail, and was slow to take off but he seemed to just... sail. It was really cool, and Mom seemed in awe. I would later hear Mom tell Auntie N that we had seen "an eagle". I wasn't sure, but it sure wasn't a finch or a dove.

We continued a bit further and reached a steep bank at the highway. It was the first time that I have heard those familiar sounds since last Friday. All's good. We turned around and headed back for the cabin... home.

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