lucky encounter

One day, a Cooper’s Hawk showed up on our backyard deck.  Though sometimes seen patrolling through our neighborhood and wooded areas in our area, they are very timid and never seen up close.  This individual probably dropped by with the intent to pick up a snack, one of the House Sparrows, Goldfinches, or House Finches that visit our feeders.  What a stroke of luck that I took a break from my painting at just that time, that I happened to stroll by the dining room where a sliding glass door leads out to the deck, and happened to look out to check on the bird activity.  What luck that I had my camera nearby, with the telephoto lens attached so that I could get a couple of good, close-up shots before it took off.  The hawk posed erect, stately, haughty, regal.  It had no small bird in its grasp, so if gifted with intellect and language, the hawk would say it was unlucky that morning.  The small songbirds would say they were lucky; luck was with them in that they detected the approach of the predator in time to make their escape.  I use the word luck as if it is a thing, as if it is something given or taken by some unseen force, when really it is merely a word that expresses a feeling.  But it is such a strong feeling, engrained by life experiences that teach us to look for intentions, both good and bad, on the part of those around us.  So despite the fact that I know on an intellectual level there is no such thing as luck, I still feel lucky to have experienced the presence of such a charismatic creature.
I am happy to say that I recently had two paintings accepted for the National Watercolor Exhibition at the Mary R. Koch Arts Center in Wichita, Kansas.  The show, juried by Stephen Zhang, runs from December 10 through January 29, 2022.  The paintings, “Thrush and Phlox” and “Grand Canyon Lodge View” can be viewed on my web site.
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