Return of the Hawk

I've had a hawk living in the small wooded area next to my house for the last couple of years. I believe he's a Red Shouldered Hawk, which means my pets are probably big enough he isn't going to try and pick them up. I did see him grab a bird out of my yard one, though. There are loads of squirrels around to keep him fed.

I hadn't seen (or heard) him in a few weeks and I was beginning to wonder if he'd moved on to a new nesting place, but he's back this morning. As much as he makes me nervous, I like having him around. He's a reminder of the wilds that once were in this area. Mountain Lions are gone, bears have been driven farther into the mountains, but hawks remain.

I set Amends in this area. (Still waiting on artwork.) It was fun to write about places that were within a few miles of my home. I was able to visit locations, calculate drive times, and really make the novel as real as possible. Unlike the Fallen novels where I have to depend on my memories of New York, Google images and maps, and tourism websites, this novel was written in real time.