I rarely leave home without my camera, tucked in my purse or pocket. However the other day when Don and I were on our way to town, I noticed the camera had a low battery, so I plugged it in to charge while we were away.
It was one of those, "What can possibly go wrong?" moments. Don always jokes that the one time I'll leave my camera at home, we'll see Bigfoot or something.
Well, I left my camera at home ... and we saw Bigfoot. Sort of.
We were driving along a beautiful stretch of river and passed a small sandbar. An antlered bull elk was on the sandbar, drinking from the river. The dappled sunlit forest was behind him and the sparkling river was before him. It was one of the most visually stunning images I've seen in years.
-----> INSERT PHOTO OF GORGEOUS BULL ELK DRINKING FROM RIVER <-----
And. I. Didn't. Have. My. Camera. With. Me.
Arrrggghhh. I've been kicking myself ever since. It would have been a magnificent shot.
Cue the obsessive carrying of my camera with me everywhere I go from now on.
The one that got away...
ReplyDeleteThanks to your description we can see him anyway, standing in the stream and sunshine (must be the author in you ;)
I think I would have been so stunned and overwhelmed to remember to grab my camera, let alone look away long enough to focus the lenses. It must have been spectacular, a calendar quality shot, or something on National Geographic's cover. Remember God blessed you to be in the right place at the right time to see His beautiful creation.
ReplyDeleteHow are your parents? We fly to Colorado tomorrow. My Mother-in-law is in decline. I have heard it in phone conversations for awhile now. Lately friends and neighbors are reaching out to all her family in California. She is now willing to receive help. We have been praying for her safety along with others as she has insisted on driving. We had DMV mail her forms for evaluation by doctors for health, vision and hearing. She has kept the forms a secret from us. We're pretty sure she missed the deadline and is not driving with a valid license. There is much more news filtering in and I'm not surprised. Family is sometimes the last to face the music. My husband is remarkable in his turnaround with patience and love as she was a tough cookie for a mother. God has been working on his heart and healed a lot of hurt. His brother is MIA, won't even answer the phone. Praying for great family healing and compassionate hearts. God is good, He can do wonders.
I pray your Dad is still doing well. I was so thankful he has the family-type friendships in your Mom's care home. It is such a relief to visit and just enjoy her company and not have to manage meds, meals, bathing, fall risks, etc.
May you be blessed with another elk experience with camera in hand, and soon!
Oh, how is the neighbor's barn coming along?
Sympathy from here. It's so hard when your parents are making foolish decisions and yet they're still in their right brains so there's nothing you can do about it. It's like they're tall toddlers who can drive.
DeleteI was living in Florida during the 1980s when I came upon a century plant in full bloom, supposedly an event so rare that the plant was given this name.
ReplyDeleteI got out of the car with my camera, excited to have a chance to record this. As I got closer, I noticed that the flowers were oddly alike, except for the colors, which were pastel pink, yellow, and blue.
Turns out that the homeowners had cut the bottoms of egg cartons into flower shapes, and stuck them onto the spears of the plant.
Got me good, they did...
Hello, that's what AI is for! Get crackin'.
ReplyDeleteSame has happened to me now I just carry an extra battery
ReplyDeleteA similar story. Spike mule deer. Spike moose. On either side of a very small clearing. both very territorial.
ReplyDeleteBristled up, very tense, ready to challenge, perfect light, Dead batteries. Almost 30 years ago and I can still see them like it was an hour ago. One of my very favorite wildlife memories!