For Father’s Day, I gathered up the girls and we jumped on an airplane to fly from DFW to Milwaukee, Wisconsin to surprise my Dad for Father’s Day. I wanted to visit with my sisters, spend some quality time together, relax, enjoy nature, explore, and celebrate Dad. What I didn’t expect was to witness one of the most memorable moments I have ever captured with my camera.

While in Wisconsin, we went to their RV somewhere in the middle of nowhere. The girls were doing their things with their cousins and I decided to take my camera for a walk throughout the resort-property. I had heard that there was a nest of Bald Eagles and wanted to see if I could spot them. The residents of the property saw that I had been looking around (I probably looked lost) and then noticed my big camera (well, the lens is long, professional looking). They had to point out where the Eagles were at.

Finally, I found the Eagles’ nest up in the tree. As I watched this majestic parent keep a careful eye on its young, I realized there was something special about seeing wildlife in its natural environment. As I lined up my shot, another unexpected element came into view. An American flag in the distance, it was blurry but that’s what is ok in this photo. I was going in for a sharper image of the Eagle and just having a blurred vision of the American flag just makes the picture.

This photo reminds me of family, strength, protection, and freedom, especially since it was Father’s Day weekend. I’ve learned that the best photos are often unplanned. I was just in the right place at the right time, camera in hand, ready for nature’s gift.