I’ve been pondering perspective this morning. I woke, as I often do in the winter months, to the sound of at least two eagles calling and crooning back and forth to each other. We have a very tall fir tree in our yard that we have referred to for years as the “courting” tree.

As the eagle population began its recovery over the years, we started seeing a pair of bald eagles that would sit, either together or singly, in this one tree, using the limb as a meeting place in their wooing of one another. This spot has been a place of wonder and delight, particularly between my mother and I, and we awaited the courting season every year.

So, the perspective part comes with a brother living in the Aleutian Islands. They have so many bald eagles that they are considered a nuisance. During the salmon runs, eagles will get into a nearby creek, pick up dead and putrefying salmon, carry them to the roof and eat them, dropping bits and sometimes whole fish that roll, thumping all the way, until they fall off the roof and splat onto the sidewalk outside the door. It is not pleasant.

Let’s discuss perspective as it pertains to the Katy Warner Christmas Fund. Here we are in this island of plenty, trying to decide what gifts to give for Christmas, what meals we are going to serve, which parties we can attend, and how many batches of cookies to bake. This is our Christmas.

But what if we were having such a hard time with money that there was nothing left for baking? Or we couldn’t give the kids new pajamas for Christmas? Imagine the chagrin, if we did not have money to prepare a meal for the family? These are the people we try to help, and we need your assistance.

We have some thanks to spread this week, so let’s get started. Last week I mentioned a note that had not made it to my hands and wondered what the donor had said. It turns out that their grandchildren are in Australia this year, so in order to “fill the gap” they are making a donation to the fund.

We kick off this week with $100 from a couple who are regular donors from Country Club Road. Next, $500 arrived from a couple who have been aligned with my family through that aforementioned brother in the Aleutians who has managed one of their fish processing plants for years.

Gifts of $100 were sent from both a woman on Madison Avenue and a couple on Venice Loop. These donors all seem to be the same each year, and while we appreciate their involvement very much, where are the new names? Why do we let a few people do the work every year, without expanding along with our population? It baffles me.

Ah, here is our yearly visit from Raccoon Lane, with a couple sending in $250 for the fund.

To wrap up this week’s donations, we have $1,000 from a couple, along with a note saying, “Thank you and Happy Holidays.” Good grief. I’ve already thanked two other members of this well-known Bainbridge family, and here is a third. No wonder the Town and Country Market is such a wonderful place.

We also received, at the American Marine Bank collection site, five vouchers to be used at any island grocery store. Though I’m not sure how to account for these in our total, I am very sure that they will be put to good use.

Donate at the following official locations: American Marine Bank in Winslow; Bainbridge Review, 7689 Day Rd.; Walt’s Lynwood Market; or mail to The Katy Warner Christmas Fund, PO Box 10354, Bainbridge Island, WA 98110. Thank you.