"Wild Kingdom in Clark"

"You know this city is full of hawks?  That's a fact. They hang around on top of  the big hotels.  They spot a pigeon in the park-right down on them."*

*Terry Malloy to Edie Doyle in On the Waterfront.

     The city he was talking about was Clark!  Well, not really, of course.  But it might have been.  One day last week, I was taking my early morning walk with Buddy, when I saw a hawk devouring a pigeon right on someone's front lawn!  That hawk was the absolute largest bird that I have ever seen up close!  Luckily, I didn't see him actually swoop down and attack.  The sanitation workers were out, and their truck had obscured my view at just the right time.  The scene was unsettling nevertheless.  It was as if I were watching Wild Kingdom, except it was being filmed in my own back yard.  (I guess I just dated myself by mentioning that show.  Anyone out there remember it?)  So then, for a number of mornings, I was scanning the trees and telephone poles in search of the elusive hawk.  I have tripped a number of times, as my eyes were glued to the sky, rather than where I was walking.  I have since abandoned my search...