31

As I ride Rosie to town to visit with my daughter on her 31^st birthday, I see two fawn (doe?) prancing alongside the road. It would have made for a beautiful shot, but I know that the minute I slow down, they’ll scoot right into the forest. So I just watch, out of the corner of my eye.

And I think – how appropriate to be reminded of this kind of spirited romp: the bravery, the trickery, the fun that is locked into the young. And how grand that we get to watch from the side before they really scamper off, leaving you slightly breathless, dazzled, in love.

But my day really began earlier, much earlier. I woke to a mist outside and I was tempted, so tempted to mumble an appreciative comment to Ed and roll over toward a world of deeper sleep. But what I did mumble was – it’s been a while since I photographed the sun break through a misty morning. And he mumbles back – that’s right... go for it.

Ever so reluctantly I stumble downstairs and put on a light jacket, because it is beautifully cool outside at this time of day. And I rev up Rosie and we are off...

I make a loop along the rural roads. 

It’s an easy way to get a few good shots. I know how the fields extend...


 


... I know where the cranes hang out and where I’m likely to spot deer.

Yes, they’re there. And crane, mixing with geese. And I think to myself – how is it that we sport bumper stickers with the word 'coexist' and we think we’re so cool about coexisting with our worst enemies and actually we’re not cool at all. We look for opportunties to make a mess of it all.

These cranes, geese, deer, they don’t sport bumper stickers and yet, they ... coexist.

Maybe I’m too much in the world of the farmette right now, where plants grow if you nurture them and animals come, chomp here and there and go and maybe it’s not to your liking sometimes but jeez, they mean well and isn’t it great that you can hand over plants to some animal and still continue with life as you know it?

Anyway, it was a lovely morning and a lovely day and my sweet, sweet girl is 31 now...

 

31, with her fiancé

... so in her honor I spent 3.1 hours watering plants tonight! Despite the emerging mosquitoes.