Seeing

Sometimes while I'm taking my daily walk up to JC's house I find myself sleepwalking, day dreaming along, not paying attention to anything but the gravel under my feet. I'm sure I've plodded right by a lot of wildlife and scenery that I would have enjoyed seeing if I had only opened my eyes and paid attention.

I find however, if I take my camera along I start looking around and seeing things, like the Blue Heron trying to catch a minnow and keep an eye on me at the same time. Like the Otters watching me from the lake and the Wood Ducks paddling and quacking along in the bay on the north side of the road.

Yesterday, which was sunny, but one of the coldest days of this winter, I bundled up in a down jacket, pulled on some wool gloves, and as an afterthought slipped my camera into a pocket.

Even though the temperature was in the thirties there was a fisherman trying his luck from the bank next to the highway.

Just east of the lake is a meadow where Elk come to browse quite often, but almost always at night. I see their fresh tracks several times a week as I walk by, but I've only seen the Elk three or four times. Yesterday they were calmly grazing in the cold sunshine.

I wonder how many times I've walked right past them.