Daniel has always been a very observant little sponge and information seemed to seep and collect into his every pore. He also has great visual acuity, seeing the patterns in things and the small details in life. Perhaps it is his “artist’s eye” that picks those up. His memory is like an elephant’s, I have found out to my chagrin on more than one occasion which shall not be recounted here.
The most incredible demonstration of his awareness was when he was four years old. Cece’s Brownie Troop had come to the UCD Raptor Center and all the girls had been ooohing and ahhing the various hawks, eagles, owls and other rescued birds of prey. Finally, we were gathered in the main exhibit building and the guide was lecturing and showing slides of various birds, asking what they were. At one flashcard, the audience was silent and no one seemed to know the answer. Suddenly, a little voice from the four year old boy in my arms broke the stillness: “Barn Owl.”
“Correct,” said the docent and then stopped cold when he realized just who had given the answer. His look of amazement was worth millions. He was incredulous, as were we, that Dan had known what to say. It seemed inconceivable that he had just blurted out the name of one owl at the correct moment. No doubt, at least to my thinking, his “artist’s eye” had picked out the subtle differences in plumage or body shape and he correlated it with the information he had absorbed on the tour. He brought down the house and was the hero of the day in our eyes for that one!
Dan still exhibits that all-seeing tendency. In his adult years, rock hound that he is, he has found beautiful agates and interesting rock samples everywhere, scouring the Yakima River and Oregon beaches. He has great radar for rust finds, much to the joy of his Dad, and his artistic eye has created many beautiful rock paths and areas in our gardens in Yakima and Eugene. He is still at it.
9-8-2010
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