Story Behind the Picture: "Two Little Birds"

I took this photo during a glorious morning row, a day where I brought my camera (and the patience of my teammates) out at sunrise to capture the sights we tend to overlook on a daily basis. They promised to hold the boat steady and not to splash water on my equipment. They promised to help me find things, ordinary things, that they thought to be lovely. I nearly missed these little birds, perched atop the wire that spans the river from Kelly Drive to Peter’s Island and holds the lane markers that help to guide racing crews. I’ve passed under that wire countless times, both as a rower and a coach in accompanying launch boat. I’ve even touched the large yellow lane markers that swing freely from the wire: the river was high enough one day in practice that I could stand on the foot-stretchers of my boat, reach overhead, and tap the metal marker for good luck. But I’ve never paid attention to the little birds that regularly perch atop the wire and bear witness to the rising sun and the sparking water below. Until this particular morning, that is. We passed under the wire just as the sun crested the tops of the trees and one of my teammates pointed them out to me. I caught these two little birds in their morning reverie, enjoying the dawning of another clear, spring morning: each time I see this image, I think just how nice it is to have company while watching the sun rise.