Birds and Art, Elfrida-Style

It’s lost in the mists of history, that moment when a human being first decided to lay claim to the majesty of the eagle by fixing its image to his gatepost. Much as I’d like to have been around to hear that doubtlessly prehistoric discussion, I think the more recent kitchen table conversation that led to the creation of this beast, topping a fence in Elfrida, might have been even more interesting.

Were jollity and good spirits at play–or just spirits? Is it a warning, a joke, a tribute to a poorly chosen talisman? Do the neighbors use it as a landmark when giving directions to guests–and what happens to the hapless visitor during the summer, when every post provides a perch to its own, living, breathing, feathered Turkey Vulture?