My Hawk and Grad

A week ago today, M graduated from middle school (grade 8). I tried hard not to bawl as the class procession walked through the gym and that was quite a task, I can tell you. My eyes tear up thinking of it. The boys were funny, some of them attempting at dignity, others not at all. The girls wore high heels (very high and clearly new to them) and they were gorgeous, M most of all. But what made my heart about burst out of my chest were the awards. M won two of them, for history and phys ed!

So today’s post is a shout-out to the Essex class of 2012, and loudest of all for M whose 13th Gotcha Day was the same week. And I remember when she was so small that she fit into my lap when I sat cross-legged to feed her a bottle in the middle of the night. Oh that toothless smile, I thought it was the most beautiful ever. But the smile I caught on camera the night of her grad, was more beautiful still.

And here is a photo of a young Coopers Hawk who posed for me in the park this morning. I was at a distance, using my small Lumix Panasonic fully extended to 16x. The hawk’s back was to me, but she turned to look over her shoulder, first casually then fiercely, practising for the hunt. (Click to enlarge)