The Wild!

I love going for a drive into the country without a particular destination. For some strange reason, going down a road I have never been down before, excites me. Last weekend, I had the opportunity for such an adventure... and WOW, it sure paid off! My first great find was on a grid that had a small bridge with a large slough on both sides of the road. I spotted something swimming in the water so I got my Husband to stop the truck and let me out on the bridge. When he pulled ahead to park, the critter swam closer and closer. I got my camera ready and snapped some shots as it approached and continued shooting until the critter swam under the bridge. It was a mink!!! My Father is what I would call a "nature nut" and he said that in all his years, he has NEVER seen a mink swim. I was so excited! Our road trip in the boonies was coming to an end. The sun was getting low in the sky and my five year old Son was getting tired of touring and hungry. We started making our way back to the city when out of the corner of my eye, I saw what I thought was a bird's nest move. I have heard stories of porcupines climbing trees, but in all my years, I have never been in the right place at the right time. It was not a bird's nest... IT WAS A PORCUPINE IN A TREE! It was time for some off-roading! As we approached the trees, I could see the porcupine in a panic trying to make his way out of the tree, but we got to him before he got down to the ground. He froze... quills flared. Adrenaline was pumping through my veins! I was close enough to reach out and touch him. He wasn't moving a muscle, so I got several pictures before stepping back and letting him go back to doing his own thing. This road trip made my day!! I was smiling ear to ear and couldn't wait to get home and download the images! Here are a few of my photos from the day!