My Freezing Cold Eagle

It was a cold, blustery winter day in Kamloops, BC. My bald eagle was sitting in his tree right beside the South Thompson River. I call him my bald eagle only because I wish so much that he was mine. I have been watching that bald eagle each and every day for the last year and a half that I have lived here and I love watching him. However, this day, I felt so sorry for him. I mean it was -20 degrees Celsius and the wind was blowing so hard.

“Hey Mr. Bald Eagle,” I cried out to him. “Aren’t you cold up there?”

He looked right at me with his big bulgy eyes.

“Yes,” he said. “Of course I’m cold. Do you think it is fun out here for me?”

“Of course not,” I said. “I feel sorry for you.”

“Well,” said Mr. Bald Eagle. “I really don’t want your pity. However, I would love to have some fresh salmon right about now. The river has kind of iced over.”

“Oh you poor thing,” I said, getting out of the van to open up the back door. “Hop in. I have a big salmon in my freezer.”

“Really,” said Mr. Bald Eagle.

“Really,” I said.

Mr. Bald Eagle flew down from the tree and hopped right onto the passenger seat of the van. I crawled into the back of the van with my husband giving me a really strange look.

“It’s okay,” I said to my husband. “He’s not going to hurt you.”

“No,” said Mr. Bald Eagle. “I’m not going to hurt you, but could you please turn up the heat on this thing.”

My husband cranked up the heat and Mr. Bald Eagle seemed to settle right into my seat.

Once we got to our apartment, I carried Mr. Bald Eagle up the stairs and into our apartment.

“Hey, this is not bad,” said Mr. Bald Eagle, spreading out his wings. “Now, where is this salmon that you promised me?”

I went to the freezer and took the wrapper off the frozen salmon I had and set it down on some newspaper on the floor. Mr. Bald Eagle gulped down that salmon so fast. He really enjoyed it a lot.

“Well,” said Mr. Bald Eagle. “I’ve got to go now but I’ll come back next snow storm and have some more salmon with you if you don’t mind.”

“I don’t mind one bit,” I said.

“I don’t either,” said my husband. “I kind of like him.”

So each and every snow storm, my husband and I brought Mr. Bald Eagle home with us and we enjoyed his company while watching him gobble down frozen fresh salmon.