Moments after our
awesome bear sighting on the 4th, we were cresting the top of a steep rise further on
down the same road…
“Deer”, I said.
“To the right.”
This is my typical shorthand way of informing my husband
of impending wildlife on the road as he drives. It’s
usually not necessary as he’s just as good at
spotting the critters as I am, but I figure it
doesn’t hurt to have two sets of eyes looking.
Especially at this time of year, we encounter so many
deer, rabbits, and ground or tree squirrels that you
really have to drive slow and be mindful in order to avoid
the unthinkable.
The deer around here seem to have any number of ways of
reacting to our oncoming vehicle. Sometimes, they will
bound swiftly off the road, boing-boing-ing their
way off into the brush or up a steep hillside. Other
times, they seem uncertain of what to do, meandering in
the middle of the road or crossing one way then back the
way they came. Then, there are those times when they
freeze and just watch our slow approach.
The deer we were nearing at the top of the hill had a
choice to either go down a very steep embankment behind
her, cross the road and go up an equally steep embankment
on that side, or run up the middle of the road in front of
us. But, as she was a little ways off the road and
(perhaps) imagined herself somewhat concealed in the high
grass, she chose the option of just standing very still
and waiting for us to pass. As we steadily inched our way
forward, my camera still in-hand from filming the bears, I
hatched an idea. I have photographed at the spot we were
nearing on so many occasions and I could see in my
minds’ eye the position of the deer relative to the
view behind it. A view that overlooked the property where
we live and beautifully showcased the canyon and the
foothills beyond. I rolled my window all the way down, and
as we moved past the deer, I managed to take this photo:
I have many, many images taken from this point on the
road, looking out over the same view. But, none of them
makes me quite so happy as this one. The Mule Deer in the
foreground. In the distance, glimpses of the trails behind
our cabin. Trails that I have walked thousands of times.
Some photos are more than the sum of their parts. They are
a feeling that cannot be explained and may very well not
even exist for anyone but the photographer. They capture
not only the visual information of what the camera sees,
but also somehow find a way to capture the essence of what
it was like to witness the scene for yourself.
Well, anyway… sorry for the rambling and
philosophizing.
Mostly, I hope you enjoyed the photo.
It’s better than my words.
*GRIN*
