Staying Motivated

It was a lovely spring morning on Cape Cod. Temperatures were cool, skies sunny, and foliage beginning to bloom. Cool breezes flowed through the house as I worked on the turkey scenes of “Rudy and the Owl.” One of the illustrations portrayed Rudy talking with a turkey. It was an endearing a portrayal of two of my favorite characters, and I was so pleased.

I was making myself a cup of coffee before I sitting down to thank my artist for his craftsmanship when I noticed a turkey strutting through my yard. “Look at this guy!” I said and opened the door so I could see him better.

A second later, a little red cardinal came flying down from the the river birch into the garden that lines our lawn. He parked himself in the cedar bark at the base of the tree. The cardinal seemed to be watching the turkey as he came around the fire pit and headed toward the tree where the cardinal stood.

For a long moment, I held my breath in awe of the scene I was witnessing. It could have been a snapshot from my children’s book.

I reflexively looked for my phone to capture the image, but it was nowhere near. I called to my son. “Alex, you have to see this!” He came right over, spotted the turkey, pulled his phone out and snapped a photo. “Did you get the cardinal too?” I asked. He snapped another photo.

In a flash, the cardinal took off, and the turkey ambled back into the woods. The scene was gone.

“Did you see it?” I asked.

He nodded. “Just like your book. That was cool.”

Indeed it was.