It was a morning to amble without a camera. I didn’t even try to take a picture of the Sitka black tail deer that grazed in the North Douglas Highway verge. It’s tense posture told me it would bolt if I did anything but continue up the road. I many unsuccessful attempts to capture a belted kingfisher piercing the surface of Fish Creek Pond for salmon smolt. A formation of crows diving one at a time on a perched eagle made compelling subjects but when I hit the shutter release button I got nothing but blur.

All the scolding we received didn’t help my mood. The little dog and I were chattered at by squirrels and Steller jays, verbally abused by the kingfisher, and mocked by the rack-rack-rack chants of crows. I even took personal the displaced eagle’s high pitched complaints.