End of an Era? Only Liberty Knows.

 

Source: FORE

From the draft folder - 

There are signs this year that our lovely lady eagle, Liberty, may not be laying eggs for the second year in a row. As she grows older, much like us, there comes a time when the season of procreation and raising our young ends.

Liberty and Guardian are still very much living their best lives. We continue to watch and cherish their beautiful love story, unfolding in its own time and way. I’ve been following Liberty’s journey for nearly twenty years now, even before I moved here - and it remains just as much a joy today as it was in the beginning. (And for those who may not know, Guardian is her third mate!) She has laid more than 43 eggs in her lifetime. 

Only Liberty knows if or when she will ever lay another egg. After all, she has lived more than twenty-six years, and she is, without question, the expert.

What still makes us smile is their enthusiasm for one another. They carry on without the slightest concern for who might be watching, a reminder that life continues in its own rhythms, unbothered and free.

Sunday, when walking through the area

When there are no eaglets to tend to, they usually remain near the nest until early to mid-June. Last year, they lingered until June 11 before heading off to their summer retreat. So for now, we are given the gift of a few more months to enjoy the remarkable presence of our beloved Redding eagles.

There is something about animals and wildlife that has always deeply touched my heart. I have never been able to watch anything where animals are harmed, nor even those  Humane Society commercials, without tears. Even if a movie ends happily, I just cannot endure watching it. So I don't anymore. Wearing my heart on my sleeve when it comes to animals has been part of me for as long as I can remember.

And over these past twenty years, what began as simply observing a pair of bald eagles has become something more. When our community gave them names, Liberty and Guardian, somehow they became not just eagles but familiar, known… and loved. 

Source: FORE

And that is why I feel a quiet ache when I think ahead to that Fall day… the one when Liberty may not return.

And yet, I am reminded:

“To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven.” — Ecclesiastes 3:1

• This, too, is a season. 
• A season of watching. 
• A season of appreciating.
• A season of holding gently what was never really mine to keep.

And so, for now, I will keep looking up, grateful for every glimpse, every flight, every moment we are given.