Critters on the Hike; Take the Right Camera

Sonya zeroes in on her new buddy.

Sonya's turtle.

As I walked out the door for a hike this morning, the last thing that occurred to me was, "Should Itake my big camera?" And I concluded, "Nah. What would I shoot on this trail that hasn't been shot?"

Big mistake. By the end of our little journey up and down Tinker Mountain, my pal Sonya Chappelear and I had seen--and photo'd some of--the following:

Bugs don't count.

Coon up a tree.

A bear
A deer
Two turtles
A chipmonk
A rabbit
A raccoon
Two ticks

The 'coon was a baby and it looked like the bear was either a cub or a small female. We got about 100 yards from the bear. The turtles were on the path and the chipmonk and rabbit were close. The deer was probably 30 yards away. The ticks were on us and we had enough good sense to check.

Fun hike. Here are some of what we were able to shoot with my little point and shoot. Damn, I wish I'd taken the Canon.

This tree is almost a critter.

Flowers equal sunshine.

Last--and least--are the spiders (unless you count the ticks).