Leaving the Valley

Tomas the ranger came to the visitor centre at sunrise. He had a Thermos of coffee. He sat on a bench next to Polly.

They did not say much. Polly preened her feathers. The morning smelled of the river.

"You are leaving," Tomas said.

Polly tilted her head.

He told her about the rest of the park. The high country with its lakes. Another valley to the north. A grove of tall trees.

"This place is too big to see in three days," he said. "You only see pieces."

Polly thought about her dives off the cliff. None of them were good. But each one was a little better. She could keep getting better for a lifetime.

The green shuttle bus came back. The same driver. Tomas stood up. "Off you go," he said.

Polly stretched her wings. She lifted off the bench. She circled the visitor centre. She climbed.

The valley dropped away. El Capitan was on her left. Half Dome was on her right.

At the rim, she banked west. Below her, a peregrine hunted small swifts along the cliff. Polly watched. Then she found the wind and let it carry her out of the park.