The Price of Huckleberries

Yesterday, I spent the better part of eight hours clawing my way up and down steep inclines.  I crawled over and under deadfall.  At times, I literally swam through heavy brush.  All of this time, I had a bucket and a can of bear spray attached to my belt.

I was in known grizzly country.

Several times, I slipped on growths of beargrass and fell on my butt.

In the end, I came home with something a bit under two gallons of huckleberries.

Whatever the going price is for fresh huckleberries, it’s not near enough.

Finally, I can’t think of anything I would rather do for eight hours.

--Mitchell Hegman

Robbers

Honey, let’s wear our early retirement on the inside and pretend we are robbers.

We could use the excitement.

Let’s pretend thievery next time we go to the grocery.

You can snip some green carrot tops and bury them in your purse.

Maybe I can thumb free the little nubs from the top of avocados and slip them into my pocket.

Ours is that kind of desperation.

--Mitchell Hegman

Birdsong Elk

Yesterday, on an early morning drive to my cabin, I saw the largest herd of elk I have ever seen.  I would estimate the herd numbered over two hundred animals.  After glimpsing the elk in a meadow as I drove along the highway, I pulled my truck over and then threaded my way though some thick brush on foot for a closer look.

I managed to sneak to within something just a bit over a stone throw from the elk and stood there in a thicket of stick willow watching and listening.

That’s the thing: listening.

Elk cows and calves chirp, whistle, and mew—sounding birds more than anything.  The meadow was filled with birdsong as I watched. 

I stood there for several minutes, taking in the sights and sounds.

Before I left the elk herd, I managed the photographs posted below.  I have also posted a YouTube video featuring elk chirping and singing.

--Mitchell Hegman

Video Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7NKeP2118fM

First

The man who clings to all his gold will be first to drown when the water rises.

--Mitchell Hegman

Full Traffic Stop

All vehicles came to a stop at 7:15 am.  By all vehicles, I mean one truck and two compact cars over the course of about two minutes.  I and my three traveling companions got out of the truck to assess.

Nothing had happened yet, but something was about to.

Instinctively, I reached for my smarter-than-me-phone and punched up my camera app.

Usually, traffic jams peeve me.  Not this time.

I watched with great pleasure as six fully-antlered bull elk, in single file, jumped a nearby fence, pranced across the highway, jumped a fence on the opposite side of the road, and scrambled for some timbered hills.

The camera on my phone suffers in low light conditions and suffers when zoomed, but I did manage a couple of poor quality images.

--Mitchell Hegman

Hurtful Thinking

Idea to perpetually satisfy masochists: tattoos done in invisible ink.

--Mitchell Hegman

Before and After

My thoughts before my first cup of coffee this morning: Garble, garble, junk.  SHUT UP CAT!  Garble, junk.

My first thought after coffee: Those who avoid failure also avoid success in doing so.

 --Mitchell Hegman