As I ate my midmorning brunch of whole grains, shredded coconut, and diced strawberries, I pasted decals on my ACB holder, that’s screwed to end of my computer stand, a retrofitted fish trap. I’ve collected them in my travels at La Kiva BBQ, Siesta Key Oyster Bar, Natchez’s Fat Mama’s Tamales, Spring Break in Padre Island & the Green Parrot, Key West. Those are hard to come by, too, but not as hard as the pins on my hat. I’ve almost completed my meanderings and have added few pins during this trip. The Salvation Army’s junk jewelry jar in Marathon, Florida Keys, didn’t even contain one this year. If I wanted a magnet for my refrigerator I could’ve had dozens. One of my favorite sayings when I hear someone say they can’t find what and such is, “The Chinese don’t make those.” I guess that’s the deal with hat pins, too. Ever tried to find an Ocean City Pin? If you find one, let me know.
Now, on this gorgeous April day I’m off on my afternoon walk along the Fremont River, towards the red rock base of The Castle, through the orchards and on to Hickman Arch about three miles away at Capitol Reef National Park in Southern Utah
www.nps.gov/care/). It is very peaceful as I watch the sika-like deer, marvel at the petroglyphs way up there on the rock walls, and I listen to birds that are flying amongst the flowering Apple Trees.
Then, what is that? What’s all that activity? Something is climbing, jumping, and batting at something. It’s almost a hundred yards away. I shoot a couple of pictures of what I don’t know. I could run, but I don’t want to disturb the natural happenings of whatever is going on and something sure is! I’m putting one foot in front of the other as fast and in as long a stride as I can. Something is after something else. As the animal climbs the tree to the fork of the branches, it lunges up towards whatever it’s batting at. The batting is done in mid air, but I’m not close enough to see what is trying to escape the attack or the executor. I could stop and get the binoculars out, but getting them adjusted could take forever and I may miss what’s happening. I never expected to see an assault in such a quiet, sweet smelling and serene place. Some critter is in big trouble. As I get almost close enough for a photo with my 400mm telephoto lens, I’m betting the attacker is a fox. On the fifth or sixth launch of its lunge it connects and the critter clutching to the top branches is knocked from them, tumbles to the ground, and is overwhelmed by the assailant. It’s standing momentarily with it’s prey in it’s mouth before turning and going the opposite direction from me. Yes, it’s a fox and a big one. It’s very well fed showing it’s very proficient at this performance. I’d guess it’s having a poor unfortunate squirrel for lunch, but it’s not showing it to me. My presence distracted the fox momentarily, long enough for a photo, but not enough for it to abandon the quest for a meal. Wow, I never know what, when, or where nature is going to bedazzle me! And I got the picture.
On to Hickman Arch, maybe it’s mystical, at least hard to see, as I walk towards it or is it just that my eyes default to where my feet are going, so I don’t find out how hard the ground is. Maybe since my eyes are adjusted to the bright sunlight the arch blends into the rock face of the cliff behind it or maybe it’s because the trail turns away from it, leads around it, and back to it from the other side. I’m not sure but I didn’t see it coming in and as I leave I watch two others walking up the trail to see the arch; they follow the trail, walk by it, one even took a picture towards it, and neither realized the arch was there. Check out the photo of the almost invisible arch and others at
http://picasaweb.google.com/o.c.fotoguy2009. I wonder how much we miss that is in plain view!?!? Here you can purchase a brochure which will describe and explain what is at each numbered marker. Did I? No, that would take all the fun out of it; I might know what I’m looking at, and be a normal person. Naw… not me, but all in all it was a very pleasant walk, that’s all I ask. I enjoyed the scenery, and saw nature in its savagery as the squirrel was annihilated by a fox. As a bonus I found the petroglyphs, deer posed for me, shorts would’ve been nice but I’d been in snow recently, drinking water was a requirement, and ACBs are optional, but pace yourself.
