The Unexpected Animal That Scared Me While Running

A few days ago I told you about my run to one of the most spectacular views ever.

An interesting thing happened as I was heading back to my car. This huge shadow passed over me and I immediately jumped.

You have to understand, I didn't see anyone else while I was out there. The area is isolated and desolate. So to suddenly see a huge shadow coming up behind you is freaky. I quickly jumped and looked behind me.

Nothing.

But then I looked up as this enormous bird passed over me.

I'm not a bird person. With my limited knowledge I was pretty sure it wasn't an eagle or an ostrich. The consensus from the people who've seen the picture say it is a turkey vulture. Plus, a vulture seems appropriate considering the pace I was going.

This pterodactyl bird was so amazing to watch. It flew nearby for at least ten minutes. It would circle overhead for a while, then fly a bit farther away but still within sight. If you look closely you can see it flying on the horizon.

I recognize that if an alleged turkey vulture is hanging around this long, I must have appeared as though I was standing on death's doorstep. It's not everyday that someone can say their pacer on the run was the Grim Reaper! Nevertheless (that word has got to rank in the top ten vocabulary words that are never used), watching that bird soar through the sky was seriously beautiful.