a bear and a bird of prey

so i worked each of the last two mornings, and each of these mornings i saw members of the animal kingdom that i am not used to seeing in the "wild." yesterday i was in a bunker, fixing a washout, and altogether engrossed in what i was doing. needless to say.

back turned, rake in hand, horns honking, people shouting... as i said, a man thouroughly focused. it turns out, i at least had someone beside me, and his back was not turned. he happened to mention, "holy ****, there is a car behind us."
"i beg your pardon."
"there's a bear behind us!"
"oh," says i. "a bear." i guess that makes a little more sense, huh? so that's what all those horns were about. i didn't quite realize that at the time, but i remember now. i think it meant, "there's a massive mammal at your back and you may want to get up to your cart instead of standing where you are currently standing, since the bear is about twice your size." that's how i interpret it.
if i had my camera, there would be some photos on this post, and i could have had it, but i did not. it was a really big bear. btw. :) and the story stops there. he did not attack me, and i don't have torn flesh riddling my body, after a narrow escape from the predator's clutches. nothing so heroic, disappointingly.
well, i brought the camera this morning, just in case. the bear, however, was a no-show. of course, i wouldn't have been so lucky. but after work, i was standing outside the shop, soaking in a few morning sun rays, soon to depart for home to get ready for church. i saw a bird i am not so used to seeing, perched on a half-tree, one of those dead, leafless poles. it was about thirty feet away, and i stood watching it for at least five minutes. at this point, i thought to myself: "maybe i should get my camera, since that bird seems ready to stay where he is all morning." i wish i could say what bird it was, because is was a beautiful one. gold, black, brown, and altogether regal. hawk? that is my guess, but perhaps even eagle. i am no aviary specialist. i just don't know.
so i follow through with my idea, and i go grab my camera from the car, only to return to... what else? an empty tree.
it could not have happened any other way, that is just the story of my life. i was shut down, out-thunk by a bird! but so it is. at least i saw it, but now consecutive days of failed sharing. words only. no pictures.
stay posted, because i am going to catch some SWEET shots of the dragon on the 6th green tomorrow morning!!