Harry the Hawk
Ah Harry, I hardly knew ye…
I first met your parents a few years ago. A very routine morning walking Jack, my neurotic little dog. Same walk down the same streets at the same time repeated daily for years. This particular morning I glanced across at the open field and the enormous old oak tree. There they were, oh my goodness, absolutely spectacular. I am speaking of course of your parents. To be honest I have no way of telling a female from a male hawk, so my assumptions were based on their size. And, to be really honest I have no way knowing that these were indeed your parents but I am speculating that they were. Your father, I like to call him Mr. Majestic because he certainly was, very regal very proud. Your mom? just a slightly smaller version. I felt like the luckiest person in the world to have spotted them and have been allowed to savor a brief visual encounter with two wonderful creatures of nature.
Guess what? The next morning, I couldn’t wait to take Jack on his walk, and there they were both in that big old oak tree. As the days went on it became apparent that they were building a nest! How amazingly lucky was I to have two red-tailed hawks moving in so close to where I live? The morning walks became very special to me and would frustrate me to no end if something arose that kept me from seeing what was going on with my new friends. They worked so well together, each knowing what must be done. What I would have given for a pair of binoculars, but then I would probably never go home. There were days no one was home, I figured they were out hunting or playing, yes they did play. The way your parents would fly together was truly a joy to behold. They would fly in these large circles one following the other, continuously soaring ever higher till at last I could see them no more.
The nest was complete, it appeared very well-built and plenty cozy for … ? It soon became clear and there was more activity going on in and around the nest. This was the first time I became aware you, who I called Harry the Hawk. Your parents were such an incredible team in taking care of you. Your dad watched and tended to you just as often as your mom, it isn’t like that very often with people. I had so many wonderful days walking past, looking up and always wondering what was really going on 🙂
Time went by and it seemed I was never going to be able to see you. I was able to see one or both of your parents either in or very near the nest and once in a great while I swear I saw a small head dart up and down. Later that summer, I was in the kitchen, all of the windows and the sliding glass door were open. My cat and dog love to go out and lay in the sun on the patio. It was already quite warm out and we were predicted to top 100 degrees that day. I was either cooking or doing dishes when I heard a loud BANG! Something had hit the glass side of the door…startled, the dog and cat rushed in and seconds later the dog was barking and the cat hissing. Still not knowing what had happened I closed the screen and then the glass sliding door. Finally, I glanced up and there you were, I shooed the animals into the bedroom, I didn’t want their excited anxiety to cause you any further stress. Oh Harry, I have no way of knowing exactly how old you were but there were still a few baby down feathers poking out in your tail. Not yet fully grown but destined to be as majestic as your father.
You were on your feet but not the least bit frantic as thought you would be, but shock I am sure could cause that. Smaller birds have hit before and were gone before I could even look up, you were oh so much larger. Just then Jack had gotten out of the bedroom, ran to the window and began barking like crazy, you instantly raised up on your feet with both wings fully unfolded. I was hoping this was a good sign. I rushed Jack back into the bedroom, securely closing the door this time. The minutes kept ticking away and you weren’t making any effort to move or escape your new strange surroundings. After about 20 minutes I found the phone number for a wildlife rescue organization in the next town. They informed me that it could take a bit of time for you to get your bearings back after taking such a hard hit, and the fact that you could stretch your wings was a good sign. I tried to go on about my business as I was unable to offer you any help or comfort. About the third time I checked in on you you had made your way under the railing out to the common lawn area. I truly believed the worst was over, but…
Harry, you were such a valiant fighter. More than three times you would run full speed, wings fully extended and jump a few times in hopes of taking flight, it just wasn’t to be. I called the wildlife rescue people again and told them that you needed to be picked up only to be told that they don’t do that …??? They said if I could get you into a box they had a veterinarian in another town that would look at you and treat you for free. I didn’t have a car and really wasn’t driving much at all those days, what was I going to do? The afternoon was getting hotter by the minute. You had managed to make your way to some shade under a tree across the lawn from me. Thank goodness the neighbor across from me came out and we discussed what was going on. She and her daughter brought you out some cool water and pieces of turkey, I am sure you would have preferred raw, but you did eat and drink a bit. My neighbor went inside and made a demanding call to animal control, within 20 minutes a truck arrived. The man was oh so very gently and patient with you, he got you into a cage and loaded you into the truck. He left me the name and number of where you would be going and that I could call in the morning. I thought about all that night. I called as soon as got up the next morning. Oh Harry, bless your heart…Too much head trauma, they tried to relieve the pressure, you didn’t survive the night. I cried just as I am crying while typing this…You and your family so touched my life and I am so grateful to have had the extraordinary pleasure and experience. You are forever in my heart…
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A Work in Progress
The Eternal Journey To Become The Best Me I Can Be
Dedication
This story is dedicated to Ms. Ashley Welch who first planted the seed of sharing my journey with others. I also dedicate this to all people who have had enough, want something more and are willing to work toward their desired result.
Introduction
First and foremost a huge thank you to my mother and father for blessing me with great genes something I did not realize nor appreciate until my later years.
From birth through high school I was a very typical child. After that I found independence and freedom and boy did I partake of those fountains! At 31 I married, had my daughter at 32, my husband passed away 7 years later. I raised my daughter, she raised me and then in 2005 less than 3 month before her high school graduation I survived a “minor” stroke. I am still not sure how the term “minor” is defined except to say I had no paralysis. By the time the diagnosis was made I had been let go from my job and my medical insurance had lapsed. I did attend my daughter’s graduation with the help of my parents and a walker; unfortunately, the memory of that afternoon is not as vivid as I would like.
I spent two years using a walker, my speech was very difficult to understand, handwriting was impossible and my printing not much better and my memory was a complete mess. I took on the responsibility of my rehabilitation with unyielding support from my daughter and my parents. Stubbornness and fierce independence surprisingly not affected also attributed to my progress, plus I love a challenge.
There were many things I needed to retrain myself, a few we take for granted everyday. It was months before I could successfully take a shower, I would forget to close my mouth when standing under the water and turning around was an experience in itself. Shaving was relegated to an electric razor, as I did not have the co-ordination to take the chance with such a sharp object. Cooking was indeed a journey, I would read a bit of a recipe turn to the stove or counter to proceed and forget what I supposed to do. In 2007 I knew I needed to get the brain working again so I took classes on-line and two years later and 36 years after graduating high school I completed my Associates Degree. This was an enormous accomplishment.
Life truly seemed to be looking up in every aspect, but the challenges were not over yet. In late 2006 I began having unusual female bleeding, I kept telling myself it was the final stages of menopause, the body shutting that part down, but no relief. Then in January of 2008 I hemorrhaged, ended up in the hospital requiring 2 pints of blood and then had severe anemia to face. After 13 months on continuous bleeding not horrific the whole time but there every day my doctor and I decided on a combination approach. Because of the stroke hormones were out of the question so the choice was a DNC and what is known as ablation, which is cauterizing the uterine wall. Not the most appealing thought in the world but it sounded really good to me.
Since I was over 50 and I would be under general anesthetic I was required to have a current EKG, I needed to seek out a doctor close to me who would perform this test and clear me for surgery. That did not go as planned, my blood pressure a bit high and there was “something” in part of the readout that the doctor did not like. He would not clear me unless I went to a cardiologist and climb through number of other hoops. I knew there was at least two other EKGs out there somewhere I just couldn’t remember where or with what doctor. Thankfully his nurse was willing to do some legwork so I signed authorizations for the results where ever they were.
In case it is not already clear I do not bow to traditional medicine, I take their advice do research and form my own decisions. I knew I could get my blood pressure down and that the EKG would be exonerated. Unfortunately, this meant postponing the surgery until I could be cleared. On my walk back to the bus stop I saw a challenge and the warrior in me was awakened again. I knew that exercise and the food I ate would be my salvation. My brother, a vegan for almost 30 years, would be a huge source of reference and support though I had no intention of taking things quite that far.
I had been taking my little dog for a short walk in the mornings but somehow I knew this would not be enough. Another added boost was that everything beside chicken had lost its pleasure.
Much more to come…
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