Accomplishing a Life Goal

I remember watching the movie A Walk To Remember and being intrigued by the heroine's list of life goals - things she wanted to accomplish before she died. Already middle aged when I watched this, I nevertheless decided right then and there I was going to make my own list of life goals.

I have several. While out in New Mexico in 1986, I saw for the first time the end of a rainbow as it touched down in a field, colors splashing on the ground. I didn't know rainbows actually touched down! One of my life goals is to stand in the end of a rainbow.

I want to see the Northern Lights in Alaska.

I want to see Italy.

I want to write a book.

I want to see an owl in nature (not a zoo or wildlife display).

One of my goals was to see a bald eagle in the wild. Eagles are in far western Kentucky, but not around my home. As I mentioned in an early blog, I did see a bald eagle in flight while in Wyoming this year. But the Lord orchestrated much more than that for me a few days later!

My Mom had always wanted to see Montana, so on our trip to Yellowstone, my hubby surprised her by going over 100 miles off course just so he could take her up through Idaho and into Montana where we would enter Yellowstone through the West Yellowstone entrance. (Bobby really is a gem!) We would never have had a reason to go to the West Entrance of Yellowstone had we taken the direct route from Jackson Hole to the South Entrance.

We hadn't gotten very far through the West Entrance, when we saw rangers and a restricted area. No stopping, No parking signs were everywhere. Then we saw why. A bald eagle was nesting right by the road! The rangers were protecting the nest because if people were allowed to get too close, the parents might abandon the nest.

There it was - an eagle with two fledglings. The distance was a little too much for our camera, but I'm including the photos anyway!

Our last day in Yellowstone, we returned to visit our eagles. The day was overcast and the parent wasn't on the nest, rather he/she was across the road. However, Bobby did get a shot of the fledglings as they raised up out of the nest. The adult on a dead tree was absolutely regal!

We parked right beyond the restricted space and started talking to the lady ranger on guard at that end. She was amused/touched by the tears streaming down my face and allowed us to walk a little further than we were supposed to so we could get a better photograph. She told Mom and Bobby, "I've never seen someone cry over an eagle before!"