This can not be happening again

I was sitting in my office it was late morning. Morning is my best time to accomplish tasks. Not because I am a morning person but rather that after the dogs eat and walk/run they are ready to nap. This gives me until late morning or early afternoon to work without the curiosity, which I used to believe, reserved for cats.

I was quickly approaching the last of my pot of coffee (I know it is too much caffeine). My thoughts were beginning to turn to lunch. When I heard a sound outside unlike any, I had heard before. It was a thunk and a poof simultaneously. I once played with a homemade toy, which shot tennis balls from a cardboard tube. This was a similar sound. Given that, this was Tuesday and I was still in recovery from my day of icemaker clamor (that icemaker better sleep with one eye open) from Monday. I was not happy at the possibility of being plagued with another unexplained noise for a second day in a row.

The noise had seemed to be actually above my head, although outside. In the area where we live we frequently have unusual aircraft in the air space above our casa. The military, it seems, travels on a flight plan that is as nothing short of just overhead. It is not unusual, and maybe even commonplace, to see the osprey aircraft flying by, or to have fighter jets rattling the windows. Early in our time in this house, I would run outside to watch them all and they still will draw me to a window when they pass.

Naturally, this uncommon reverberation caused my attention to be drawn to the window. I was quite amazed to see what appeared to be snow falling on my front lawn. Snow, it rarely snows here. Certainly, there was no prediction or indication of snow. The sun was shinning albeit from amongst the clouds. A simple glance was not going to suffice. I must go investigate.

Coffee mug in hand, I trudged my way outside. Upon my arrival, I discovered that my “snow” was in fact a plethora of white feathers raining down on the lawn. Our cat, Rainbow, was standing mid-yard watching in amazement as the shower of feathers engulfed her. It was then that I recalled the kettle of hawks that also grace our airspace.

I can only imagine some unsuspecting bird was flying by or maybe sitting on my satellite dish when a hawk decided on his lunch for today. I once saw a hawk swoop down and grab an innocent rabbit. My father liked to tell of seeing a hawk catch a pigeon in mid-flight. His description of the downpour of feathers coincides with what I witnessed. Mystery Solved.

I decided I had seen enough of the circle of life for one morning. I fed my cats and decided to have left over mac and cheese for lunch.