On Eagle's Wings

Last Thursday, we went bald eagle watching and planned to climb Starved Rock. A lady told us the biggest eagle nest ever found was 10 feet wide and 20 feet deep, and she told us that the female is bigger than the male. Eagles come to the area surrounding Starved Rock from the Northern US states to spend the winter by the river (it is not frozen over because of the dam). We could see eagles resting in the trees and we also saw them flying around. The young eagles have white spots on them that move around from year to year. Their head and their tails don't become white until they are five years old. When the eagles are very young, their wings are actually longer than an adult's to help them learn to fly. When the weather starts to warm up (like it is right now), the eagles go back up north to the very same nest they left last fall. There they will meet up with their mate even though they did not spend the winter in the same place. They mate for life but they really don't like each other.

 

 

the eagles are like black dots at the top of the tree- can you see them?

 

 The Eagles we saw were doing stuff that was very interesting; we saw one catch a fish.

After we watched the eagles and had a nice lunch in our van, we headed up to Starved Rock to see if we could see the eagles from that side of the river. We didn't see much more than we had seen before, but that's okay. Because we really wanted to get hiking. I haven't ever hiked in snow before. Or seen frozen falls.

the steps were very hard to go down because they were covered with frozen snow. In fact, mom did some thing that was very painful to me and her. 

                                                    watched for some Eagles here

Jared stayed at Kyle's house the night before then came to Eagle watching with Kyle, so I hiked with Kara, Kyle, Jared and Mom.

Oh now lets go back to the step thing, I was going down on my bottom and MOM was behind me and all of a sudden MOM COME TUMBLING DOWN ON TOP OF ME. (bumpity bumpity bump)

 

                                                Gods creation is beautiful (even in winter, Dad)

 

We hiked to the frozen falls-something we had never seen before. They were gorgeous, amazing, beautiful, and very interesting. I mean, how did they freeze like that?

                                      we saw ice climbers, they had tons of ropes tied to them.

 

that was so awesome

                                                           we watched the ice climbers

                                                        Jared and Kyle up on the ice

                                                we got to go behind the falls- it was green.

 

 

 

 

The combination of the sunny, crisp cold air, the great exercise, the wonderful company, and the beauty and fascination of God's creation made for one of the best days of the year so far! It would have been a shame to spend it at home doing school and working on the kitchen like Faith and Marcus had to. Ha Ha! -Lily

 

But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint. Isaiah 40:31