Monday, May 22, 2006
Top of the World
Twenty some yards from my office window, idly stands a large tower about 10 stories high. It was in use years ago only to be abandoned during times of lean profit. Now, it serves to block the sunlight from completely filling the office, certainly not a very profitable use for something that required millions for construction.
Surprisingly, it has been rented out to very unusual tenants. It's home to a family of peregrine falcons -- yes, the very same birds that are almost extinct in Alberta. So every once in a while, I stretch my neck out in an attempt to catch a glmpse of the
magnificent birds that reside but a few yards away.
The other day, I gazed upon something that looked too big and majestic to be a crow. It was circling at a steady pace, not flapping its wings but rather content at letting the wind draft keep it afloat. After a few laps in the clouds, it flew off into a remote corner of the vast blue sky not visible from the window.
I sat there marveling at its freedom, the non-chalance with which it lived and wondered what it feels like to be on top of the world......literally.
Surprisingly, it has been rented out to very unusual tenants. It's home to a family of peregrine falcons -- yes, the very same birds that are almost extinct in Alberta. So every once in a while, I stretch my neck out in an attempt to catch a glmpse of the
magnificent birds that reside but a few yards away.The other day, I gazed upon something that looked too big and majestic to be a crow. It was circling at a steady pace, not flapping its wings but rather content at letting the wind draft keep it afloat. After a few laps in the clouds, it flew off into a remote corner of the vast blue sky not visible from the window.
I sat there marveling at its freedom, the non-chalance with which it lived and wondered what it feels like to be on top of the world......literally.
Faraz Ahmed 12:26 a.m.
