By  RAY POPE
After a rough night of weather on Thursday night, I was relieved to have survived a close call situation on Highway 70 coming back from Watertown.
 
I have never been under the wheel of a car right in the middle of a tornado before. After leaving The Wilson Post at the post office in Watertown to be delivered to our subscribers in the area, it had just started to rain and as I approached Pruitte Hill on Hwy. 70.

The weather went from bad to seriously horrendous. The rain was coming down in sheets, but was blowing in the horizontal position, while tree limbs and possible hail were beating the van very hard. Times such as these, call for immediate prayers to God for safety. The van was at one point pushed sideways by the hard wind. Pray a little harder, and then it was over. Don’t try to tell me that prayer doesn’t work. It takes a lot to unlock fear in me and that was one of the times. 
 
Saturday was a whole lot better so I went to watch our Cumberland University Bulldog baseball team. Usually, I keep my eyes on the game, unless there happens to be some birds flying over.

There was a small flock of Cedar Waxwings taking a tour of the Cumberland campus soon followed by a female Sharp-shinned Hark going in the opposite direction. She was flying westward at a pretty fast clip to bother the Waxwings. A little later a Red-tailed Hawk was seen circling the ball field. I wonder what kind of thought process goes through their head when they see us humans way down below, doing the things that we do.
 
I was hoping to get to Reelfoot Lake this winter to see the Bald Eagles before they left for their return trip back up north. Sometimes the well thought out plans that go through my mind don’t bear fruit enough to make a half a bottle of wine.

Next winter, and I hope you will remind me, we should make plans for maybe even a day trip to watch the Eagles. Also I am in hopes that Charles and Gail Morris will plan another pontoon boat trip sometime this spring where we can take some of my readers out on Old Hickory Lake to watch for some of our water birds. There are so many different kinds of birds you won’t find any place else. It seems to be “old hat” when making plans that will never get off the road.
 
Last year at our Wilson County Fair, I had talked with Hale Moss about setting up several bird feeder stations in different places on the grounds in hopes of having birds using the area. Where has my time gone? It would probable be a great Eagle Scout project that would benefit our birds as much as give us a great place to birdwatch. A few months ago, Karen Franklin and I walked the area looking to see what was lurking there. Nothing much was stirring so we headed out to Cedars of Lebanon State Park.
 
I would love to hear from you as to what’s lurking about in your neighborhood and at your feeders. You can write me at 606 Fairview Ave., Lebanon, TN, 37087, or call me at 547-7371 or e-mail me at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it