: Too late. I think we're into it. :)

: As for travelling at night, how would they hunt? Eagles hunt by day.

But we know that the Eagles were able to carry heavy loads, as when Gwaihir carried away Gandalf. Thus, if an Eagle were to have carried Frodo, couldn't he/she have borne supplies as well?

: And what would the Eagles do if they got to Rauros first? Or how could the Fellowship ensure they reached Rauros at the appointed date? A rendezvous far beyond their borders with creatures who didn't even attend the Council of Elrond would be a pretty fantastic deed, I think.

Rendezvous of this nature are not unheard of, and are acutally quite common. Merchant ships and sailing vessles were known to wait a month or more at a rendezvous point for their fellow ships, also trappers would "hole up" at specific places to wait for other trappers for lengthy periods of time (hence the annual American Rendezvous in Montana and similar events in Canada)so such a rendezvous could have been arranged. Remember that Rivendell had news of Frodo before he arrived, and Glorfindel and others went out to help Frodo reach Rivendell. Also, Lorien had news of the Fellowship before they arrived, thus the elves travelling between at least Lorien and Rivendell could have contacted the Eagles and arranged such a rendezvous.

: I really don't understand why people think the Eagles should have been available, let alone willing and able, to carry the Ring to Mordor. By the time Gandalf was found by Gwaihir on the mountaintop, Frodo had passed well beyond Gandalf's reach or influence.

I would argue that Gandalf knew all along what must be done with the One Ring, and also knew that he would be called on to lead the Fellowship. He could have had time to get a message either to Gwaihir or Radagast and established some kind of relationship. It is an interesting point of logic that while Gandalf was willing to consider going into Moria (a place as feared as Mordor), that he didn't consider using the Eagles. Perhaps this was a failing of Gandalf's arrogance?

Besides, is this any more fantastic then the Eagles saving Aragorns army, or saving Frodo and Sam, or the use of Gollum/Smeagol to lead Frodo to Mount Doom? Certainly, in a fantasy realm, all things are within the realm of possibility.

Rob