A 27 Hawk Day

I am fascinated by raptors and always count them as I'm traveling. It's one of my road games to amuse myself while driving. After passing through the town of Los Banos, I headed north to tour the San Luis Wildlife Refuge. I had hoped to walk the trails and do some bird watching, but again - most of the area was closed except to hunters so I could only drive the perimeter. To my delight, I was rewarded with the sighting of 27 hawks, mostly redtails. A 27 hawk day - what a treat! That's a record I think.

Hawks always remind me of my brother Donny, who died of cancer four years ago. Ela told me that in the two years before he became ill, he had several vivid dreams of soaring like a bird. He told her the dreams felt very real and he loved the sensation of flying. Often, whenever I see a bird soaring overhead I call out, "Hey... Donny Babe!"