Looking Deep Into Nature

On the way home the other day I turned off the highway early, deciding to take a slow drive through one of the back roads leading to the house.

On this back road I frequently see many animals.

Three lamas live in one pasture along the route.

A couple of well-to-do locals own large ranches, with over sized pastures that are home to beautiful horses.

A large herd of deer live in this area, and it is an unusual drive when I don't see them - frequently sitting under trees in the side yard of one home - freely grazing in one front yard or another - grazing along side the road - crossing directly in front of you to move from one yard to the next.

I see them very often in this same general area, day after day.

As I drove on the winding gravel road I looked to my right, and through the falling snow could see a couple that I have not seen in a long while.

Two sand cranes.

They are beautiful, apparently a committed couple, and they disappeared for a few months over the winter.

Happily they have made their way back to this area.

They are a noisy pair, and we can often hear them making their characteristic whooping sound, even when they are a couple of miles from the house.

They wander from pasture to pasture in this same area, and last year they had two small little ones with them.

I like them.  

I like them very much.

The other day I was standing beside the truck in the yard, heard a noisy whooping sound, and looked up to see one of them flying directly over the house.

I smiled as I watched him.  Or her.  

This tall, slim creature was all wings and long body.

I watched him (or her) for a long time, enthralled at the aerodynamic figure - long beak, long fully extended body, legs straight out behind, and with full extension of wings.

It was the closest I had ever gotten to one of these birds and I watched as he or she flew directly over me, greatly wishing that I had my camera with me.

I didn't even bother attempting a dash to the house to retrieve it.  

The moment was passing, and was over almost before I realized that it had happened.............

A view from the back of the house, looking in the direction of Cody and down into the small valley below me.

Hidden in the approaching clouds and snow is Rattlesnake and Cedar Mountains.

Carter Mountain to my left and Heart Mountain to my right had also disappeared.

Spring in Cody, Wyoming.............

Supper time for the horses that live on the property.................

Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better...............Albert Einstein