A Close Call

I'll have to make this quick, as "American Idol" will be on soon, and my kids will pile themselves onto my bed, as this is a family thing. LOL What can I say? We enjoy it together. Awwwwww.

Anyway, yesteday, we had snow. Living in New England, you might wonder why I say that as if it's unusual. The fact is, we've gotten almost no snow to speak of here in Southeastern Massachusetts this year. Or last year. I haven't had to pick up a shovel in two winters. Weird.

As I was leaving for work, my husband called to suggest I bring the camera, because I am always complaining that I miss this or that great picture because I don't have the camera. We don't own a digital camera (yet), and the one we have is a beautiful Canon Rebel 35 mm that we paid a small fortune for 10 years or so ago. Anyway, I don't like to bring it in the car because it's heavy and I always have to bring it with me when I get out of the car.

But I brought the camera anyway. On my way home from work, I drove by the beach where I usually like to take pictures. It was a cloudy, windy, cold afternoon, and I didn't feel like taking a picture from the same old angle I usually do. The water was a surprising shade of teal under the gray sky, and I decided to see if I could sneak onto one of the properties up higher on the cliff to get a shot downward toward the beach.

I parked my van in front of an empty lot next to a big, expensive house that looked empty for the moment. The snow from the morning was slush now, and I was cursing the fact that I had worn sneakers that morning instead of boots. I slipped a few times as I walked across the lot, the camera in my hand swinging wildly.

I got about halfway across the lot, when it struck me that there was no fence or wall at the edge of the cliff. I took another couple of steps and suddenly felt my internal red flag go up. I was about 50 feet from the edge, thinking that a photo would be no good, as all I could see were the sky and water. And then I saw it.

Soaring about 10 or 12 feet above the edge was a bird. I didn't have my glasses on, so I couldn't tell what kind of bird. But it was big and brown, so I thought it was either a big hawk or even an eagle. It didn't see me approach; I was coming from behind. It seemed to hover in place forever. It was floating on the wind coming up over the cliff, soaring in place. It was incredible to see.

I tried to take a photo from where I was standing, but I couldn't get the long lense to focus on it. I moved a foot or two closer and tried again. Still, I couldn't get more than a dark blur through the lens. I looked at the bird, and then looked toward the ledge. Another few feet; it still had no idea I was there. I was getting close to the edge. My red flag was waving like crazy.

And then I froze. I thought, I have no idea where this snow ends and the edge of the cliff is exactly. I could step into a hole in the ground, or trip, or slip on the snow and go right over the edge in the blink of an eye. No one would even know. I actually could see myself falling, hardly making a sound, hitting the rocks below, the camera following me down. No one would have seen me from the road, I was too far in. And that got me moving....in the opposite direction.

That one mental image scared the shit out of me. I berated myself all the way home for being so stupid and careless.

Thank God for red flags.