… are the names I have given to our two beautiful & majestic osprey hawks. I often see them circling high above the pale blue skies, catching the updraft of a wind as they fly around our burnt & tattered property. Like royalty, they confidently perch on the branch of a blackened & broken Digger Pine. They’re gazing out at the dark terrain. I’ve watched them grow since they first left the safety & comfort of their aerie home, a bulky stick piled nest. I’ve often wondered what they must see, perhaps what they might think, as they’re looking down at me & I’m staring back motionless, looking up at them. Do they remember how it was before, as they wander out upon the charred remains? When they soared above the green forest & searched below the bay leaf shrubs & the sage brush floor, for their challenged hunt. Do they remember how they played with the wild untamed creatures of the nite & danced with the gallant sprite gypsies of the day, lurking to find that perfect prey? I watched & waited anxiously, to see their long return. They too had left their homes from the terrorizing flames & ashen smoke, that burned & filled the thick black air. There was no sign of my predator friends, no distant cry that screeched the sky until the time was right & they graced our presence once again. I saw them brush the crisp cool air with their feathered wings, that seemed to touch each other. Their voices sang that joyful scream! I’m blessed to be amongst such magnificent beauty. To see their strength, endurance, long suffering, companionship & perseverance. It’s an encouragement to me, to never give up! When I see them, my hope is restored & my faith is renewed. My spirit is lifted up & my heart becomes full. I’m grateful to see such incredible & awesome beauty, that has risen from the ashes! Samson & Delilah came home again today, perhaps it was not just for me, but maybe it was for you too. Don’t ever give up my friends, we can rise above the ashes too & begin again something new!
Photography by: Cindy Lee Hoover “Tioga Woodlands”
