Ah yes, the wonderful outdoors. I am quite fortunate in my line of work, that I get to drive along pastures full of roaming animals. For the past 2 weeks I've been driving aong the same route, which on my way includes 4 pastures of dozens of cattle, 2 pastures with horses and one area which holds horses and buffalo. Along the route are many deer, sometimes eating, sometimes laying in the meadows and sometimes running across the road and jumping fences.
Deer are very agile just last week we had to slow down as one jumped across the road and hopped a fence with an athleticism that reminded me of a slow motion Usain Bolt, or an Olympic hurdler. I watched as the muscles flexed and contorted as it dashed across our path. I lept through the fence (how I don't know) and to my uber surprise manoeuvred between 2 large trees, which I thought for sure it was gonna bring up solid on. I couldn't believe my eyes, it nearly seemed impossible for the animal to react so quickly upon landing as to avert from even snagging itself. If I had a medal that day I would have given it to the deer.
Yesterday we seen 2 moose in a pasture, very large moose! Then another walking up someone's driveway on the way back to our lodgings. The deer are ubiquitous here and are familiar and some what comfortable in the area they habit. They craze nonchalantly, and look about as though no one ever drives by, which in this case well over 100 vehicles go past them each day. Usually they are in packs of up to 15, as far as I have counted and as little as 5. They are peaceful looking as I drive by and see them laying in the grass, just watching time go by. I often want to get out and walk up to them, perhaps they could sense I mean no harm and just want to have a moment.
Today on the way back to the camp, I looked for those 2 moose from the previous day. They weren't there, but I did get a glimpse of something else, there were 2 ducks or geese (I couldn't quite tell) flying together. I followed them with my eye right until they landed. They were in unison, even the wing beats were alike. I watched as they stopped flapping and glided. They glided for a few hundred feet and lost altitude as they gracefully came closer to landing in a meadow. It reminded me of 2 jet fighters landing, the silhouette of their wings and the long neck stuck out like a cockpit. They are obvious professionals at what they do.
I'm jealous I cannot fly.
