Breakfast Cycle

1. Prowling.

Many years ago I was privileged to view the feeding cycle of a pelican in Yellowstone NP. It would glide on the surface of Yellowstone Lake watching for its prey...probably a trout just below the glistening surface of the lake. At exactly the right moment it would plunge its impressive beak into the water. On this occasion its timing was impeccable. It surfaced with a large fish in its mouth. After savoring it for several seconds, all that was left was to lean back and swallow. The process reminded me of my eating an extremely appetizing meal. I admire it, put a bite on my dining utensil, place it in my mouth, chew, and swallow.

2. Savoring.

3. Swallowing. Yum!

Imperfect Sunrise

Elk at sunrise in Hayden Valley

On many of my 18 (so far) visits to Yellowstone NP, it was my habit to rise before the dawn to explore the photo opportunities the park offers. Sunrises always amaze and the big game animals are often prolific. Hayden Valley is one of those places.

The photo shows a bull elk on the shoulder of the road that winds through the valley with the sun rising over the river and hills beyond. I was standing beside my car on the opposite shoulder of the roadway. Had I thought to move a few steps to my left, I might just have gotten that once-in-a-lifetime picture with the sun ascending between the silhouette of the elk's antlers. 

Alas, whether from fear of startling the majestic critter into flight or just not having that positioning adjustment cross my mind, I never moved. What I have is an excellent and delightful photo of the elk at sunrise in one of my favorite spots on Earth. 

It was just one more of God's surprises. He has given me many in our travels over the decades. Perhaps He expected a little more of me than I delivered that morning. What I now possess is a panoramic view of an Imperfect Sunrise.

Racks!

Over our decades of traveling out west, the most majestic animal we have been privileged to view in God's Creation is the bull elk. These two photos are of two of the largest racks I remember seeing in Yellowstone NP. When you notice these creatures grazing in a pasture near the road, you count your blessings and utter an inspired, "WOW!"