Tuesday, March 8, 2022

Can Someone See & Hear The Sounds Of Ohio In Nashville? Yes They Can & I Just Did On Saturday 3/5/2022. Imagine That.

I met a friend Saturday morning, and we went on an adventure. We were headed to Radnor Lake to see if we could catch a glimpse of the eagles and their eagle nest. We did. We went to the visitors center as our starting point. A kind woman showed us a map as to where we were at and how to get to a few different areas to see the eagle's nest. We also met one of the park rangers. I noticed he had a couple of bags of Chick-fil-a. He explained that there were volunteers working that day to remove invasive bush honeysuckle and they gave them lunch. That is so nice that volunteers came out to help and the kind manner in which the park thanked the volunteers.

We have our binoculars with us and off we go on the trail. I think we stopped at the wrong spot first. We could see the nest in a tree across the way from us but nothing to write home about when we tried to figure out the workings of our binoculars. We looked at the map they gave us and figured out we need to keep going on the trail. The goal is to get to a viewing area where the rangers are there, and you can see the eagles through the camera set on a tripod. We finally get there, and we see the same ranger we met in the visitor's center. We sat on one of the benches on the observation deck and then began to ask a few questions about the park. This is the first sighting of eagles on Radnor Lake. The nest is home to a few eggs the mother eagle is laying on them to hatch. She has been laying on the eggs for about 18 days. The male eagle was not in the nest at the time we visited. The ranger informed us when I inquired about the bamboo that we saw growing in the park. It is not bamboo like we thought, but it is known as river cane. It is quite beautiful to see in the midst of the park surroundings in nature. I noticed another couple had a telescope set up and I commented or inquired if they have a nice view of the eagle in the nest. They said they did and offered to let us each look through the lense. It was amazing, the female eagle was looking directly at me through the lense. Front profile I could see, beak and all looking directly in our direction. Moment for me to treasure here in TN.

God answers prayers for sure. I have wanted to see eagles ever since I left Ohio about 12 years ago. I could see them pretty much anytime when I stepped out my front door where I lived in Ohio. The big eagle's nest was in the distance in a tree on a piece of property owned by a family. When you have something so precious as that do not take it for granted ok. When you no longer have it, it just may take you years of praying and seeking to catch a glimpse of what you miss. Simple things like this truly bring comfort to my being, seeing bald eagles again.

We get to our cars and are trying to decide where we could go for lunch. I shared how I used to live in a highly populated Jewish community where I went to college and the great Jewish deli's they had in the community. Well, there was a New York style deli not far from where we were at. You know, there is something comforting about being around familiar sights and sounds that bring home to your heart do you agree. Stepping into a delicatessen happened to be one of those moments after seeing the eagle. We ordered a Reuben sandwich after inquiring if they make their own corned beef and they also make their own potato salad too. Oh, then the waitress brought us the familiar deli spear pickles. As we were talking with our waitress, she asked us where we were from. We shared and I mentioned that I was from Ohio originally. I noticed she did not have a southern accent and she told us her story. She is from TX and moved to Nashville about 6 years ago to pursue her music career. She sings. She shares how she connected with people and will be recording a song in April and another song in the future tense. Guess what that song is about? OHIO, imagine that. She did not write the song but someone she met did.

After we finished our late lunch my friend and I were the only ones left in the restaurant along with a few workers too. I was conversing with my friend and said if I would have never left GA and accepted a job in TN, I would have never met some dear friends that I met while we all worked together. She said she admired how I just picked up and left family in GA to move to a state in which I knew no one. That is how I tend to flow. I saw a miraculous door opened by God for me to walk through and that is exactly what I did, I walked through the open door. The rest is a glorious history in my life, still unfolding daily if I may add.

So, this Ohio born and raised gal can see the sights and sounds of Ohio transplanted in TN so can you see your dreams fulfilled and prayers answered too. Oh, you may be wondering about the part of hearing the sounds of Ohio, are you wondering? I said to our waitress how could we possibly leave this deli without hearing her sing the Ohio song to us. Guess what, she sang it to us, and it brought refreshing to me, it truly did. See, maybe the day was not about seeing a bald eagle or going to a deli for lunch per say. It was about meeting Deidre Thornell and causing her to maybe stretch a bit in faith to just sing without any music accompaniment a song to her audience of 2 and a few co-workers that heard her too. When one has a gift, it is to be used and not to be hidden in a closet somewhere right. She will be recording another song in April 2022 titled, "The Little Things." Oh, one more thing, for some reason people from Ohio keep passing through & come to this deli. Isn't that funny. I have learned throughout life about planting seed in rich soil for it to grow do you. I planted a nice tip as a seed to sow into her life that day at the deli.