Last weekend, after a difficult week with mom, I drove the beach with my sister her kids and an old friend
who had just moved back to town. The weather was supposed to be beautiful, and it was.
Saturday morning, before going into town for breakfast, I drove west to take a quick glance at the ocean.
It's always beautiful, and for me it sets the tone for the day.
I need to look at the sea before I do anything. I'm not sure why, but it plants a picture in my head of what is happening at that very moment. It tells me what mood the ocean is in.
Sometimes it beckons me so strongly, I can't get the image out of my head.
When that happens, I plan the day accordingly with a book and a blanket, a run, or surfing, rather than starting up some project in the garden.
It was about 7:30am. We were headed back towards the house and there, at the edge of the road was a bull elk. Huge. Magnificent. With a large rack on his head. He stood there, staring at us seemingly without a care. I was squeezing Shannon's forearm. Both of us whispering, "Oh, my gosh". We turned off the engine and watched him, slowly, gracefully walk into the brush, head held high, towards a second bull elk. They bowed their heads and began clacking their antlers together, pushing back and forth. We were awestruck.
Hot steam, like smoke came out of their mouths and nostrils. Though quiet, we could hear their force as they snorted and dug their hoofs into the wet ground. A rare and lucky view of nature.
The first thing that came to mind was the eagle I saw three weeks ago, and the whales who visited last weekend. Back in the city, I told my friend Christine, "All I need now is to see a lion". And low and behold, the elk! I wonder why we are so blessed with these rare visitations from Gods creatures. I wonder what it means. I want there to be some great message in it for me.
It's not a fortune cookie, its not a horoscope, its not man made or contrived. Its nature, still breaking through the man made world to connect with us. But why?
