Swan

There is a swan near our cottage back east. It hangs out in this one little cove that we pass by as we drive into the neighborhood.

Two Christmases ago he visited our dock. Strangest Christmas present ever. As I got closer, he swam closer. I thought he wanted to be fed so I ran up to the house for bread. When I got back, G said he had left. Then he saw me and turned around! Crazy, but true!

I have video of him swimming to me, getting so close I could almost touch him. He wasn’t interested in the bread. What a funny little miracle he was on that cold Christmas morning.

I still don’t know what our meeting was about. I’ll never forget the day though, and neither will G.

We then started seeing him all the time, but never near our dock again. Sometimes we take our boat to the cove to see if he’s there.

I wasn’t expecting to paint a single giant swan, anymore than I expected to see one swim up to me. He emerged little by little as I painted. They really are huge, elegant birds. There’s no telling why he thought he knew me that day. Or why I painted him, before we even met…