A Sign From the Universe

Let me start by saying I have NEVER, in our almost 30 years of living on our pond, seen a loon here. We've had resident mallards, Canada geese, wood ducks, grey herons, and this year an osprey--but never a loon.

Yesterday morning, I was finishing up some research I've been doing on loons for a new picture book manuscript. I needed to return some reference books about this interesting species to the library, so I was squeezing out every last detail I could.

Fast forward to the afternoon. My daily walk with Mocha, our Shih-Poo, always includes a visit to our pond, her favorite place. I immediately noticed a bird in the distance diving under the surface of the calm water. My heart started pounding as I raced to get my binoculars. Sure enough, it was a loon.

As soon as it noticed me, it ran across the water, taking off into the cloudless blue sky. It circled the pond twice and splashed down again, resuming its underwater hunt for fish. I was lucky enough to watch it surface and swallow one whole.

I couldn't believe what I was seeing! Until that morning, I hadn't known that loons migrated south during the winter months. Having grown up in Vermont, I'd seen loons on many of our cold-water lakes and ponds, but not here in North Carolina! I wish I could've taken a picture through my binoculars, it was spectacular.

After watching for quite a while--I lost track of time--it awkwardly scuttled across the surface, soared around the pond once, continuing directly over my head and above the towering pine trees at the edge of our property. How lucky was I to catch a glimpse of one of its pit stops along its journey home?

Sometimes the universe gives you a sign. At times it's just a small detail that you almost miss unless you're looking closely. And other times, it flies directly into your view, ensuring you notice it.