Canyon Art Walk
On my regular evening walk yesterday, I came upon these two wonderful scenes…
Mule Deer self-portrait?
Maybe it’s just me, but I think these hoof tracks really look like a deer face (well, either that, or a rabbit). Actually, the “ears” are where the two toes made an imprint, but it looks a bit different than the normal deer tracks I see. I gather that is because the cloven hoof is capable of spreading apart when it’s muddy (and it has been muddy!) or when the deer is running, in order to gain more traction. The “eyes” are actually dewclaw marks, which often don’t leave an imprint at all because they are located higher on the deer’s leg. But, again, because it’s been muddy they are showing up very clearly. For those who’ve never had the opportunity to view a Mule Deer dewclaw — be sure to click on the image above to see a close-up photo.
Jackson Pollock in progress?
OK, some of you may be put off by this image. Sorry. I see the beauty in everything — even poop. This colorful spattering is the work of one (or possibly both) of the Great Horned Owl pair that reside near our home. The large Eucalyptus branch that arches overhead must be a favorite perching spot of theirs at night. It’s difficult to see in this photo, but there were actually several recently regurgitated pellets in the mix as well. Be sure to click on the image for a bonus photo of one of the potential artists! *grin*
I have seen those prints that look like smily faces and smattering of other interpretations, rabbits too, he hee like ink blots 🙂 Love the J P poop, I look at scat too but never included it on my blog however I did get the dog poop calendar one year for Christmas, I admit I never hung it up! xo
Dog poop calendar?! I had to google that one for myself just to see if such a thing really existed — Yup! Of course it does! And why wouldn’t it?! Apparently there is a potential market for nearly anything you can think of… but, I wouldn’t hang that up on my wall either. *grin* Strangest thing… I went back to the same bit of trail to take more pics of that deer print and it was nowhere to be found!? I must have looked for like 15 mins, but it seems to have been a one-day wonder. Thanks for visiting, Ro!
Very nice, Harsi! For this post in particular, and for the site in general. I love the ease in displaying larger photos and then jumping back to point of origin. Kudos to Ezra!
Hello, Ron! Thank you so much for the kind words and for stopping by to comment. Despite the fact that it takes a bit longer for images to load, I really like having the big photos so that you can see more details and occasionally get the “WOW” effect. I will be sure to pass on your compliments to Ezra. Did you hear the news? While you may get some heavy rain and even hail in your neck of the woods, we’ve got an excellent chance for some honest-to-goodness snow here in our hills tomorrow! 🙂
what a cool find (both the track and the whitewash). Garry does much more tracking than I do now, but I love how tracks tell a story.. nature is filled with so many signs and it’s always rewarding to me to piece the stories together. Super photos!
Cindy! I’m glad you enjoyed my pics. Yes, tracks are infinitely intriguing. Someday, I look forward to having your experience of viewing various tracks in fresh snow… must be magical!