A pleasant spring day

By Debby Gregorash

Out at our property in the foothills, the Aspen leaves are emerging.
Today, was a bit cool but the sun was warm on my face.
I checked all the trail cameras and found a few interesting pictures of the local wildlife.
Some people ask me what I do out there and I tell them, as little as possible.
OK, that’s not really true but I never have anything on my to-do list that can’t wait until the next day.
And today was glorious. I went on a walk-about with my happy dog, Little Bear, and took many photos of the beauty of spring.
When lunch came around, I had a picnic outside. Afterwards, I had a little nap on what I call, “The Magic Sleeping Couch,” so named because it is soft and irresistible. Little Bear was outside chewing on a stick or chasing a chipmunk.
When I woke up I took the dog with me, while I repaired one of my trail signs, moved some old flooring under cover, and pulled over a dead tree I was worried would fall against the cabin. I fixed a cup of tea and sat in the sun again.
I had a funny feeling the dog should be left inside the cabin this afternoon.
I usually go with my gut feeling and it is good I did because as I sat down to write, there was a mighty crash and smash over at the pond on the other side of a stand of trees.
I would have walked over right away but the stand of trees was on the other side of a meadow.
If I snuck over to the pond I would have no where to hide should the beasts charge at me for interrupting their play. I was pretty sure they weren’t bears and in my head I pictured a couple of moose frolicking in the water and getting out and jumping back in. Perhaps, they were trying to shake loose some blood-sucking ticks.
Sure enough, awhile later the joyful play stopped and they climbed the bank to graze on the fresh grass, crawling on their knees.
They mostly browse willow, Aspen, dogwood, and water plants and I suppose their legs are a bit too long for ground-grazing.
I snuck as close as I could but they were wary and I was upwind. They knew I was there. Good thing the dog wasn’t.
A little while later I was back in my chair in the sunshine and I was just about to let the dog out, knowing the moose had gone.
I put my pen down and went to move the TV table (useful outdoor desk) and looked up to see a very healthy coyote trotting past, less than 100-feet away.
It stopped to listen for a pocket gopher, mole or some kind of rodent living underground and since my camera was right there beside me, and it even had the telephoto lens on it, I slowly lifted it up and clicked off a few shots and continued until Wile E. Coyote disappeared around the corner.
Again, I was upwind but the coyote pretended not to notice. It surely would have noticed my little white dog and would have tried to make a meal of her.
I thought for sure my day couldn’t be more exciting but an hour later I looked up in the sky and watched an aerial performance by two courting Red-tailed hawks. They gracefully soared in circles and occasionally tumbled together. It was a romantic display and against the billowing clouds, made for some nice photography.
Days like this make me weep a little, from gratitude. I can feel my heart swell and I am humbled and honoured.

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