My Expotition (A. A. Milne's word)

This is what it looked like when I left home Friday. I was off for a ride alone, to explore and take photos. I had a long chat with a neighbor. Up until today, I didn't have a relationship with her, but we talked for a long time in her driveway (a fav spot of mine to sit... lots of pics of it will be here, I'm sure) and became better acquainted.  Although it was quite warm out it was not uncomfortable at all, so it was a good day for the expotition. (Pooh-speak for "expedition")
The first thing I saw as I went up the hill from home was this:
 Look on the lower of the two rocks, near the crook... he sat there for the longest time letting me take picture after picture! He is actually a baby, I realize, and not the mom/dad that normally sits on the rock, nearly taking up the whole space of it.

When I was talking to my new friend there was the Mama whistle pig out with her two babies on the hill behind the truck. I have been watching her for a few weeks, and this is the first time I've seen the babies out and away from their hole. They have often played a few inches away, but this is quite far. In whistle pig inches, I mean.
It's too bad that my camera is so poor, as these are adorable creatures with the cutest faces. Google "whistle pig" or "groundhog" and see them standing up!

After chatting with her, Bear joined us and I took a photo from her driveway looking down to our house. I love the mountains in the background. I love our mountains PERIOD!



I went down the neighbor's hill and decided to take a little ride on my own, so Bear went one direction and I went the other. Thirty seconds or so after I turned away from Bear, I looked up and saw this:



I hope you can see the three deer in the photo. I have enhanced the original photo a bit in order to try to make the deer a bit more visible. It was dusk or just before (twilight?), which is when the deer usually come out in our garden/yard. They stopped and stared straight at me for several minutes, motionless. If I'd had a better camera, this would have been stunning. It was breathtaking!  While I was watching them, barely even breathing, a bird flew down onto my foot!



  A few minutes later, they turned away from me (to their left) and soundlessly, gracefully, bounded across the road and into the little subdivision. I enjoy riding in that area, so I followed them (far less gracefully and much, much more slowly!).  I took a little video of their "escape" but it didn't really capture them well at all. I remember their white tails so vividly, though, so that's okay.

I was trying to adequately describe the way they moved when they crossed the road, and truly what came to mind was a very muscular male ballet dancer who virtually floats high above the floor, legs extended to the front and back as he goes from left to right on the stage. Hope you "see" what I am seeing in my mind's eye!

I went to the subdivision where they'd disappeared. I absolutely love being there at dusk or just after. The sky is always beautiful, and the birdsong is always rich and loud. The best part? The distinct lack of "people" noises.


Deep breath in.......

After a bit of de-stressing and letting the day's worries flow away, I moved on through the subdivision. It has an exit closer to home so I head that way.





Back home, I found Bear and our neighbor deep in discussion. I left them to it, but took some snaps.
I have adjusted the lighting on the photo so the people are more visible.



Night has come...

The last thing I see before I open the door and go back to my inside world...

Good Night, Moon