Quills to the right of me, quills to the left of me, stuck in the middle

Dusk was coming and the area around me was filled with the sounds of Nature. The birds were chirping and flying from trees and bushes all around. Chasing the flies, mosquitoes, and other insects that were buzzing and hopping from place to place. A chipmunk scoured the ground before me and gave pause on occasion to look up and make sure I was still where he last saw me.

A few deer in the distance went about their grazing and their young fawns played nearby with no worries in the World.

I sat and just enjoyed it all. Nature being natural. So peaceful and so very calming. Mind, body, and soul were all one and my breaths were slow and steady. My mind as clear as it ever could be as I sat simply at peace.

A noise off in the distance beside me awakened my senses and heightened my awareness. Adrenaline began to flow and the noise was steadily getting closer. The fawns stopped playing and the adults went on alert as their ears pointed in the direction of the sound. Their tales now up....ready to run.

The birds had stopped their flying from here to there and back again. Nestling into hiding spots and quieting down. Nature had become still except for the growing noise that continued to get louder and closer.

My heart was beginning to race as I focused my eyes and ears towards the brush and woods directly beside me. I was unsure of what to do next. Fear and calmness fought with the unknown that was coming towards me.

Calmness and a belief in Nature took over as I turned to look one last time at the deer. They stood still and the birds remained quiet. It seemed we all wondered what was approaching.

I took a few steps backwards and then focused the camera on the brush. Whatever it was would be coming out right in front of me. Less then five feet away from me.

Louder and louder, closer and closer, my mind raced through a million scenarios at once with none matching what I was hearing. Was it a bear? Was it something larger or smaller? The unknown and the fear that comes with it was in every fiber of my being. I was not tense and was not afraid but yet I felt fear. Is that even possible? Somehow it was possible.

The shrubs and bushes began to move now and yet I could not make out anything as I looked keenly at them. Studying the movement and trying to figure out the size of the animal within. The beast continued to move forward. I remained steady and silent.

Closer still......just feet from the edge of the brush. My heart beat faster and faster. Suddenly calmness and clarity rushed into my body and mind. Yet I could not see what was coming.

The brush at the edge begins to move and out pops the head of a porcupine. It was moving slowly and steadily towards me. My mind raced with the question of could they throw their quills? Either direction there would be quills to the right of me and quills to the left of me. My mind became clear that they could not throw them at me and my only danger was if I touched him.

I dared fate and lay down before the slow moving porcupine. I snapped picture after picture until it was within two feet of me when it finally noticed me. Quills went straight up and so did the hair in my arms. I came up from laying slowly to a kneel as it passed by me and then climbed a tree not far away. I snapped a few more pictures before sitting back where I had been before.

Slowly Nature returned to the calm state of before and the deer began to graze again, the birds began their chirping and flying, the sun was setting and the sky was beautiful. Peace was here again...........

Running with the Moose

There he was in a field off of Rte 113 in Baldwin standing tall and proud. A young bull moose with a decent sized rack. I pull to the side of the road and this seemed to be his cue to cross the road and head into the thicker woods on the other side. I hopped out of the car with the camera in my hands and fired off a couple of quick shots before it was in the woods.

I ran across the road and straight into the woods where the moose had gone. As soon as I entered I could hear him ahead and ran after the sounds. He heard me and picked up his pace as well. The noise from each of us spurring on the other to go faster.

My heart beat and adrenaline were both on the rise dramatically. I am sure his were too. I was hoping we would end up in a clearing where I would be able to get some shots of this great animal out in the opening. The pictures running through my mind were amazing, peaceful, and graceful all at the same time.

It was at about this time that a loud grunt came from my immediate left. I spun towards the sounds and there was the moose. Just feet from me. At first fear did not strike me but rather the beauty of the beast was all I could see. The color of his brown eyes where striking as they looked directly into my own blue eyes.

Another grunt and shuffling of his hooved feet set my mind mind back to reality. DANGER!!! DANGER !!! My mind and heart screamed.

The moose began to move and then run but luckily for me it choose a different direction then mine. I had been warned and nothing more. Luck had been on my side.
I watched intently as he disappeared again before my eyes.

Then my body finally reacted as I realized I was not breathing and was standing still in what felt like a deep freeze. I sucked in a huge gulp of air and then began looking for my heart which had apparently jumped from my body.

Slowly I made my way back to the road. I was still excited and yet scared as well. It had been a remarkable experience where luck was on my side or maybe the moose somehow knew I meant it no harm but it had better things to do during rutting season then pose for pictures.

I was back near the car and picking off various thorns and snags on my pants when a feeling of relief came over me and then a smile reached my face. I laughed gently as I realized I had just run with a moose.