The Beauty of Nature

  Of course there's beauty in nature.  I don't think that anyone could deny that fact, especially anyone who's ever been to Southeast Alaska.  From the first day we arrived in Alaska both Zac and I were in awe of the beauty of our natural surroundings.  It's breathtaking.  However, some days the beauty of nature is more obvious than others.  This morning I was absolutely amazed by my surroundings.  The morning was calm and clear.  It seemed lighter than most mornings when the boys and I left the house to walk to school.  Although it was a little earlier than usual even so I could have been imagining that it was lighter than usual.  Or perhaps I was more aware this morning for some unknown reason.  The boys and I had a lot on our minds actually and were already discussing the coming events for the day as they had a Battle of the Books competition first thing in the morning.  Yet, for whatever reason, as I stepped from the ramp to our house to the main boardwalk, I was caught by the beauty of the backdrop of scenery in front of me.  The snow- capped mountain in the far background was slightly shaded by a light morning haze and from where I was standing the trees framed it to the right and left.  

    I glanced towards the house as I was remarking to the boys that it was a beautiful morning.  Xavier and Zeke both started to tell me that there was a bald eagle in the tree by our house, just as I myself was noticing him as well.  A single tree sits to the south side of our house with it's branches reaching up and over our rooftop.  All of the leaves have long ago fallen and there perched on a barren branch, just left of the center of our rooftop, was a bald eagle.  He was hardly noticeable at all.  The branches of the tree made the eagle fairly inconspicuous, due especially to the gray and brown hues of the bark and the houses rooftop which formed a monochromatic color scheme with the feathers on the body of the great bird.  Just the bright white head of our country's national bird stood apart from the backdrop in which it sat.  The way in which the eagle was perched he gave a protective appearance, as if watching over something of great value.  He did not move the entire time that we watched him.  He simply stared forward toward the picturesque mountain view in the north.  As the boys and I watched this amazing creature I couldn't help but think how aptly this scene captured the meaning of the word regal and represented true majestic beauty.

    More astounding yet, so much so that I had to wonder at first if it was a figment of my imagination (which it wasn't), was what awaited us when we began up the ramp leading to the school.  In front of us, high above the school, soared a bald eagle.  Whether it was the same eagle or a different one I do not know.  However, the ease and simplicity with which he glided effortlessly through the air took my breath away yet again.  Photographs of bald eagles soaring high above the treetops are always so beautiful, yet sometimes look fake, due to the calm and serenity with which the bird glides with it's outstretched wings.  To see one of these great birds soaring however, you realize why the pictures always portray peacefulness and ease.  It is because this is what you see when you view it in nature as well.  There are no photography tricks that need to be done to such portrayals, it is the reality of the animal.