Just west of Hebron along Route 66 in Connecticut is a rock that really sticks out. Painted to resemble a bald eagle, it looms over the road and looks great from either direction.

It wasn’t always an eagle. It has been at times a frog, whale, turtle and even a shark, according to local lore. I think it would make a great snake head too, which is actually what I thought it was meant to be when I saw it the first time.

It became an eagle in 1989 when a senior from the nearby high school came up with the concept and made it happen. Through the years, with the help of folks who’ve taken on the maintenance task, it has remained an eagle. One account says the painter is now a New York artist and another has him living in Virginia. I think the New York artist version makes the better story, so I will go with that.

And, in case you’re wondering, Route 66 in Connecticut is a state route and has nothing to do with the famed US Route 66, which ran from Chicago to Los Angeles.

A couple other views of our eagle:

And just for fun here are a couple of REAL eagles I’ve seen this year, and a photo of me with one: