In the interest of full disclosure, I didn't take yesterday's morning walk in our nearby common space. It happened at a local wildlife refuge, the site of my "Sunrise Sojourn" last spring.Since the area is part of Central Ohio's Metro Parks system, my leisurely trek hardly qualifies me for a bushcraft merit badge. All the same, it's a wilder place.
At one point, five whitetails burst from the tall grass scarcely 20 yards in front of me. Later, just ten feet to my right, a red fox pounced, missed, saw me and disappeared.
Herons glided overhead without making a sound. Migrating geese and ascending KC-135s, on the other hand, were less reserved.
A friend and former colleague of mine, a helluva photographer who left Ohio recently for a warmer clime, saw my images and commented that he prefers to watch our changing seasons from afar. I get that.Since he's a shooter himself, however, he also appreciates the challenge of entering a landscape of tall, dry grass, seemingly devoid of color, and the rewards of getting close.
He knows that delight is in the details.
Enjoy the beach, old friend, because it was damned chilly out on the marshes yesterday. I'll stay put, thanks -- I love this time of year.
