I've been missing....

I woke this morning to strong winds and a beautiful sunrise, half over. I usually get up when it’s dark out, but I tend to miss the sunrise because I’ve got my nose to the laptop by then. So I went outside to see what I’d been missing.

A hawk was circling above the trees to the right of my yard with the sun lighting up the underside of his wings. As he made his big, wobbly circles, he wandered closer, eventually passing over me. He disappeared over the neighbor’s house, and about thirty small, dark birds with light bellies flew toward me. Juncos, maybe? The sun electrified their undersides and the borders of their wings. They came and went quickly, like a little flock of flying leaves. I would have missed them if I hadn’t been looking up at the hawk.

The sky changed colors quickly, and I got cold enough to come back inside. Now it’s overcast. The wind’s still shaking the trees. The cat’s sitting by the window, bird-watching in warmth and comfort. She has a good idea.