A Frames

I think we would all agree that all of God's creatures He created are equal of importance and I'm sure He is very fond of each and every one. However, I have to believe that some are a little more special than others. Some animals just seem magical in their existence and seem to glorify perfect form for function. Mostly, these are the top of the food chain creatures. Like elephants, big cats, whales, crocs, octopus, and bears. They just seem to be so magnificent to watch that you can't help but wander if God wanted to combine all the wonders of the cumulative effort of the food chain in that top animal. I wander what it is like to be the at the top of the food chain. The big dog, the untouched, the magical.

So this time of the year is a great time to be a birdwatcher. I've been into following birds now pretty heavy for about 4 years and I find a lot of pleasure in it. I've always been amazed at things that can fly. Who wouldn't want to fly? What an amazing ability. Perfect trail and perfect flow on a mtb ride can almost feel like floating at times and it is a wonderful feeling. But can you imagine flying under your own power? Aside from flying, birds are amazing little creatures. They accomplish feats that are pretty stunning. Just watch a hummingbird in slow motion... it hovers and is quite a little areal acrobat. At just a few ounces, it travels further for migration than most of us ever will in our lifetime. Its heart rate runs around 600 bpm during feeding and decreases to 30 bpm at night to conserve energy! Brilliant. Seriously.

Anyway, one of the special parts of being a cyclist is that we get deep into nature. If your a mtber, you get into parts of forest that get us up close and personal with nature. That's part of the appeal. I seriously doubt mtb'ing would be as special if we took some fake trees and made a fake trail in the middle of an open field. You may not realize you love the woods, but subconsciously you do. As a bird watcher and cyclist, I've been known to stop dead in my path to watch a bird. Some things you really need to slow down and appreciate. God made a lot of cool things around us for us to see and take in, like the top of the food chain animals. They were made to look at, to study, to learn from, to be in wonder of what God can do. Kinda like the greatest of athletes like Ali, Jordan, Phelps, Maradona, Bo Jackson, Mantle, Armstrong, Williams, Magic, Manning, RC, Hoffman, Lopes, and Hawk. Perfect form and function. Today, I met that in the bird world. Their are several favorite birds of mine: the owl, piliated woodpecker, hummingbird, swift, and the peregrine falcon. But none can match the Bald Eagle. It is the master of the bird world and you know it when you witness it hunt in nature. Today, I was blessed to get a tip from my Mom that 4 bald eagles were doing a little ice fishing at the lake. I grabbed my bird gear and headed to watch them for a few hours. I was treated to an adult pair with 2 of their older fledglings. It was pretty amazing. Everything had a purpose for them. What I needed binoculars for, they could see with the naked eye. As one flew over me so low, I couldn't help but feel like time stood still as he floated above me with so much grace and elegance that most Hollywood stars would die for. They demanded respect and the other water fowl gave it to them. I couldn't help but wander if the fledglings knew how special they were to grow up to be. At this point they were constantly egged on by the adults to find their own fish, and in a 6 month time frame they will be Kings and Queens of their own territory. That's some big talons to fill. They are a perfect culmination of every single creature that every single creature eats to make it what it is. A rightly fine showing of the top of the food chain.

I also couldn't help but notice how, even though I remained focused on the grace of the Balds, the people world around me hustled faster than ever. Completely oblivious to the beauty that was around them. I think the Balds seemed aware of us, but not us of them. Like Jack Johnson sings; "slow down you're moving too fast, a frames can't catch you when your moving like that." A- Frames, for those of you who don't surf, are the flow of waves to ride in the ocean, these are the perfect barrel waves to ride. Waves that let us float as one with the earth. I am a firm Christian, but given that I have some Blackfoot Indian running in my blood, I have a special appreciation for Bald Eagles. Eagles are seen as messengers between the Gods and Humans for the Blackfeet. I still think they are messengers, but just between one God and us.

Some things are meant to be enjoyed; athletes, animals and people that are just a little special. Knowing that we are all vital to what they are. I'm just saying: Stop and wait for the A frames sometimes. It's okay to enjoy them, to be in awl of what has been created. Don't miss the A frames of life, God wants us to enjoy them while we are here.