Just Call Me Angel of the Morning

Today’s earworm, Angel of the Morning, by Juice Newton, is brought to you, courtesy of the woman this morning who stopped me at the Wetlands to chat about the birds.

I had my window rolled down as I drove around the Wetlands this morning.  I had already had one woman on a bike say “Good morning,” but this woman, who was walking toward me with a large camera and tripod balanced on her shoulder, started our conversation with these words:

“Excuse me, do you know ….”

Immediately, my brain began working to finish that sentence.

Do you know … that your headlight is broken?

… that you just ran over an alligator?

… that you are driving way too fast?

Why was I assuming the worst?

“Do you know,” the woman said, “anything about identifying birds?”

“Yes,” I said, and then modified that, “some.”

She pointed behind me.  “What is that?  Is that an Osprey or a Bald Eagle?”

I pulled out my camera and zoomed in to see the telltale brown mask popping up on the Osprey’s face.

“Osprey,” I said, “definitely.”

“They left the nest yesterday.  They abandoned the nest.”

I couldn’t tell if she was talking about the solitary Osprey that was sitting at the very top of a dead tree and surveying the water for food or one of the Great Blue Heron nests nearby.

“I almost called DCF,” she added.

I laughed.  “Yeah, I usually don’t worry unless the nest is empty.  As long as there’s one in there watching, I know the babies are okay.”

“Well, you have a good day, Angel,” the woman said as she headed off to chase down a picture of the Osprey.

I smiled. 

Had she just called me Angel?  I couldn’t remember the last time someone called me Angel, if ever.

And of course, a second after she said the word, the Juice Newton song began playing in my head.

It had been one of my mom’s favorite songs.

Used to drive me crazy having to listen to it.

But today, thanks to a random woman with a camera and a question about birds, the song put me in a good mood.

And I drove the rest of the way, a bit more slowly, a bit more relaxed and willing to take the time to just pause.

I was in such a good mood, I even stopped to take a picture of one of those crazy ugly softshelled turtles.

Just call me, Angel.