Sightings....... best day and 10 miler ever!

On our way to the trading post today we (finally) got to see a couple baby fox, cub, pup, or kit..... what every you choose to call them.

The one that we were able to get photos of was a real cutie...... he/she was confident enough to stick around and check us out.

I should have mentioned that there are several fox dens alongside the highway.  I've been checking every time I go by and today was my first sighting.

After dinner I headed out for a 10 mile run.  A couple of miles in I spotted this (Janet told me..... I hadn't the foggiest) Painted Turtle.  When he/she saw that I was stopped and hunched over to get a better look he/she peed.  I haven't scared anyone that much since I was woken up from a deep sleep (not a morning person).

The turtle decided that it didn't want to go onto the highway badly enough and headed back down to the stream.

I was really excited about my sightings and that I was running in the cool early evening.

I happened to be walking because a bug got under my head band and bit me........ the bug paid for it's actions with it's life.  While wiping my forehead I managed to squish the bug into tiny bits.

Because I was walking I happened to spy a bear coming down to the highway.  It didn't register at first but then it was "Holy Cow, that's a Bear".  Never having seen a bear this close in the wild, many thoughts flooded into my head.  This is how I remember it..............

"Wow this is sooooo cool.  Look at how cute that bear is.  Get the camera quick.  That looks like a really big bear. Awwww, he's stopping to look at me.  What a sweet face. Shit, am I supposed to be afraid?  This is such an awesome experience.  Shit, am I supposed to yell and wave my arms around or play dead.  I wonder if he's going to come over here.  Ummmmm.... yup, scream, wave arms, and look big. I wonder if the photos will turn out.  Oh, there he goes into the forrest.  Poo!"

I made sure to walk very slowly past his entry point.  I didn't want him to get spooked and run out after me.

You'll have to click on the photos and zoom to get a better look.  

Unfortunately, the lighting wasn't the greatest, and wild animals don't get that they need to stop and pose when people are taking pictures.

What an awesome day of sightings!!

Gotta run.