WHEN YOU HEAR HOOF BEATS

Even though the sun seems to think it’s okay to sleep in and neglect its job of warming the morning air, I still get up early a few times a week and go for a walk.

 One morning last week I arrived at the river bridge when the sky was lighting up with a glorious sunrise.  I regretted the only camera I had with me was my cell phone. Although it did a pretty good job of capturing the moment.

On I tramped, following the river road with my mind wandering about when I heard a galloping sound.  Well, of course I thought it must be horses.

 It sorta looked like horses.  But I pulled out my cell phone and grabbed a fuzzy photo when I realized it was mooses not horses.

 Dang! If I’d had my Nikon I most likely would have a clear photo of this momma and her calf stopping to see what scared them out of the trees. 

They hurried off into the willows and disappeared down the river.  I walked on and didn’t see anything else remarkable.

SO…this morning when I decided to go along the same path, I grabbed my camera with the zoom lens so I would be ready when I heard hoof beats.

 The big Hunter’s Moon had spent the whole night lighting up the sky and was heading for bed.

By the time I arrived on the bridge, the sun was painting the sky with another brilliant sunrise.  This time I could capture the tip of the Grand Teton in Wyoming poking up just behind the Big Hole Mountains.

 I got a few more shots of the sunrise and, as the sky grew a little lighter, I carried my camera down the road where I’d seen the moose the week before.

 The pink sky reflected in the pond where a flock of Canada geese were taking a break on their trip south.

 More geese were already up and on their way.

Only gooses, no mooses, no hoof beats, not even any horses waited for me as I walked down the road.

 By the time I turned for home the moon was settling down and giving up the day to the sun.  Yeah, even though I didn’t get to shoot a moose or two, it had still been a good walk and a good start for the day.