Up In The Air (video)

Monday July 8th

Tere came over to clean the house today. I went to sit outside with my coffee so she could have the inside. Today is bright and sunny again, the rains left late Saturday. The fishermen returned this morning, and school is finally out, it is quiet next door. Perhaps that is also why there are so many more tourista boats in the water this morning heading out for the dolphin tours or just pulling the rafts loaded with people screaming as if on a roller coaster.

I sat staring at the mid-point of my ocean view, between the cliff edge and the horizon line, a point perhaps 1km from shore. Maybe five minutes passed. I was trying to place all the recent developments in my life into their proper places. Trying again, after several days of letting it go and just enjoying my time here, to decide about what to do come December when I am finished with CU.

As I gazed at the empty ocean with what I thought was a useful progression of ideas, I became suddenly aware of 4 birds slowly circling the area above where I was looking. I watched them for a minute or so and then became aware of another one slowly circling a few meters above my perch in the backyard. This one was just above the palm trees and then out over the cliff edge and then back over the trees, with little if any effort of it’s wings. These are the same birds that I mentioned previously when I spoke of them in the squalls post. They are not looking for fish, they seem to be flying around for the fun of it.

I went in and got Tere and brought her outside. I wished to know the name of these birds. Sheila had told me the moment of my arrival 3 weeks ago, as there was one sitting on the perch above the door to the front yard when we entered, but I was tired from the flight and did not recognize the word and did not write it down.  Fragatas Tere said, and I asked her to write it in my book, it is frigate in english.

I gestured to Tere to look out at where the birds had been circling, but they were gone. We looked up and some were now circling above us, at the edge of the cliff. As we stood there more gathered. It was if they had heard us call their name, I said to Tere. She looked at me and said yes, and isn’t nature beautiful, and swept her hand along the flower beds at our feet. I shared with her my notion that they were not fishing but rather just having fun and she agreed.

After a few more minutes during which she asked me a few questions about my life in Colorado, she went back inside. I continued to stand at the edge of the cliff. Slowly I became aware that more birds were circling above me now. As I stood there their numbers continued to increase. I stood still for many minutes taking it in, thinking to myself this is an omen. The birds are saying, yes, come live here, you will be rewarded if you do. Why else would they come when we called their name? I could see no other reason, though I looked about for it.

After a while I walked up to the house to get the little video camera I had brought along, as well as my point and shoot. Before too long the number of frigatas had increased to where the sky was literally filled with them. I turned on the video camera and pointed it at the sky directly above my head. Simultaneously holding the other camera and clicking the shutter, thinking to myself as I often do I wished to share this moment with my friends.