Birds Eye View

It's sparkling, sunny, crisp. No wind. I can sit leisurely on the top of Mt Tom, my third peak of the day and my half way point, and enjoy the views without the usual rush to get back to the shelter of the trees.  A birds eye view of a birds eye. A few white Jays appear and seem interested in my trail mix. I hold my gloved hand out with some nuts and berries and instantly a bird lands in it. I can't believe it! I wonder if some miracle has happened in the world to change the usual order of things. Perhaps all conflict, war and strife have ended everywhere. Nature is as one and at peace. The lions are laying down with the lambs. Or is this just one tiny little miracle, orchestrated only for me, on the top of a secluded peak in the White Mountains? I sit for a long time enjoying the feeling of the Jays landing in my hand, their talons gripping my fingers like a babies grasp. Then I hoist my heavy Winter pack and start the long hike back. Hike: Mt Willey, Mt Field, Mt Tom, via Willey House Rd, 11.2 miles, 9 hours, Temp 0 to 20F, Solo, Slept in Truck. Click on picture to see full size