Life

The river ices over as it recedes, creating a crunchy shoreline

It was getting dark when the action started so you'll have to imagine an injured Canada Goose in the water back in the left crook and a Bald Eagle perched in a tree overhanging the bend on the right. The eagle dive bombs the goose once, twice, thrice over a half hour period, the goose fighting back by flapping his wings, possibly the only self-defense gesture he can muster. In between attacks, the eagle perches overhead. After one last unsuccessful attempt, the eagle heads downriver, empty-taloned.

I don’t know whether to cheer for the poor hurt goose who’s been through something I can’t even imagine, or the hungry eagle, in need of a meal. Then I remember Marty Stouffer’s “Wild America” series, where he has me rooting for the hawk who needs to feed her fledglings in one episode, and a hare, with babies in the warren, who desperately needs to escape from the hawk the next. There’s no good and bad, right and wrong, villain and hero here, just Life.