Tuesday 11 February 2014

Bald Eagle Sighting and a Sandra Dallas Book

Hubby thinks I am some kind of bird whisperer.  He has never noticed all the different birds till I came to live here; of course, I know that has everything to do with the bird feeders I keep stocked in both the back and front yards. 
Last year we were driving up the laneway towards the house when I spied a familiar form perched in the birch tree in front of the bow window.  It was familiar only from films and photos because I knew I'd never seen this bird before.  It was a bald eagle and I could hardly believe a real bald eagle was sitting there as calm as you please in front of our house.  It was exactly like its iconic image...white head, dark body, yellow hooked beak and as we neared the house, I could even see its yellow talons.  He was massive looking and seemed totally unafraid of our presence.  I ran in the house to the living room to try to see him, but he was too high up in the tree.  I ran back outside and snuck looks from around the corner at him. Amazing.  He was slowly turning his handsome head left and right, so erect and proud looking, I could see why the Americans made him both their national bird and animal. Then I thought of my camera, raced inside to get it, but when I went back out, he had gone.  I had missed his takeoff  which I wanted to see.  Imagine those massive wings sweeping upward.   I returned inside to jealous hubby...you're never that excited to see me, he says. 
 But really, he liked seeing the eagle too and he had never seen one here before; sadly we've not seen him since.

                                               What's On My Night Table

This historical novel, Fallen Women by Sandra Dallas had been recommended by the library committee.  Sandra Dallas has written a number of books so is fairly well-known.  The story is about a New York socialite who goes to Denver to investigate the death of her sister.  She teams up with a local detective and they work together to untangle what happened to the sister, who was working as a prostitute in a brothel at the time of her death.  I thought the plot transparent and had worked out who the murderer was very early in the reading.  I did finish this book because it was well written and I did like the protagonist.  I do enjoy historical novels from the point of view that you usually learn so much from them; unfortunately, this was not the case with Fallen Women
  

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