I thought that I owed myself(and my readers) a glimpse of some Thursday joy. The end of the semester meant a half day and students standing in our courtyard, staring intently up at the sky. Admittedly, it's been the kind of day that brings gladness to one's soul. And this is why (click photos to make them way bigger):
At first, I assumed that our sun-deprived kids were entranced because the SKY was so blue, but then I realized that there was a bald eagle in that tree, so I ran into my classroom to get my camera. I don't know about you, but I find bald eagles majestic and magical creatures.
A colleague who grew up on a flower farm and still has many connections randomly gave me tulips! The logical part of me thinks that cut flowers are a waste, but my emotions perk up every time I look at these beauties. And they're PURPLE. :) Besides that, my grades are finished, in spite of the horrendous new comment codes and my indecision about whether to round or not round the grades. Our program won't do so, but most of the teachers in the building round manually; I had several students at 89.99 and so forth, so I decided to JUST GIVE IN. The students will be happy--why not bring them a little joy? Also my filthy car, which was getting my hands dirty every time I opened it, is now sparkling clean. It's a perfect day to have a shiny car and to go for a run in the sun. So, I'm off!!
I'm so glad you had a good day! What a beautiful bird... I wish I'd gotten to see him in person, but I'm happy you had a camera so you could share him with us! Plus my eyeballs don't have zoom, so really your camera is better anyway. ;) Enjoy your run, dear lady, and I will see you Saturday!
Posted by: Adrasteia | February 02, 2012 at 04:00 PM
It sounds like you needed a day like this. I'm glad you got it. A few bald eagles have begun nesting in the suburbs of Charleston. One pair not far from my house. The wildlife people say the eagles have been so successful repopulating the ACE Basin that they are running out of nesting sites and are expanding their territory.
Posted by: Mike | February 02, 2012 at 04:26 PM
I love that eagle photo. What a great thing to take some time to watch him. Your flowers are sure pretty. It's so nice to get things like this!
Posted by: Marie K | February 02, 2012 at 05:54 PM
Nice! Good for you for giving in. I'll never forget the heartbreak of an 89 in a statistics course that I tried harder to get an A in than I ever had in my life! When the kids care about their grades, it's definitely a good feeling.
Posted by: Michelle | February 03, 2012 at 12:05 PM
Ah...what a nice/peaceful post. Beautiful photographs. Thanks for sharing.
Hugs, Margaret
Posted by: Margaret | February 03, 2012 at 01:41 PM
That purple is divine. I understand your reticence about cut flowers. . . but really, anything that brings you such joy, can it be a true waste?
Posted by: wende | February 03, 2012 at 05:15 PM
A beautiful blue sky and bright purple flowers are good for the soul.
Posted by: Zazzy | February 04, 2012 at 07:43 AM
These days have been so glorious! I know it's a tease (as February is wont to do) but I'll take it. Lots of little birds (including hummingbirds!) here at Harstine, but no eagles. Your purple tulips are beautiful and I would just relish in their color until they bite the dust.
Posted by: Tonya | February 04, 2012 at 04:26 PM
Love the eagles. We have a wildlife preservation area across the Bay from us, and we see loads of Bald eagles through all the seasons.
I'm not hampered by logic in my love for cut flowers. Tulips are one of my favorites. They require absolutely nothing else in order to look beautiful--no ferns, no grasses, no baby's breath, no filler whatsoever.
And, what is it about a clean car that's so satisfying?
Posted by: Anne | February 08, 2012 at 04:14 PM