Nature encounters can be so cool - you've surely seen the many deer that hang out along the Greenway. Sort of scary when they are right by the trail and suddenly decide to flee when you are say 15-20 feet away.

Once in college, I encountered a bird of prey of some sort. He was perched on a limb 10 feet or so ahead of me. Right at eye level and about a foot off the path. We had a staring contest for a bit. I decided he was ok with me so I starting walking towards him to get class. He spread his wings out to the full 30-foot wingspan (so it seemed) and sort of squawked. I skipped class.