And Then....This Morning

We were thrilled with yesterday's elk visit. And then...this morning. Lately we've been leaving the bedroom window open about an inch but last night had it closed because it was pretty chilly in the bedroom. This morning I heard a bull elk bugling pretty loudly. When I remembered the window was closed, I sprang out of bed to open it a crack, wondering could it be possible that a bull had come to the water trough. That eerie bugle sounded again. I went out the bedroom door and into the rest of the house where I saw through the windows....YES! A BULL ELK! Right on our property! Just out the windows! Oh my gosh; it was so cool. So amazing. Such a privilege and a gift!

Alas...no pictures, though. It happened too fast. He and some ladies were on their way back up into the woods, from whence they came last night. I think he tried to drink from the trough but his huge rack of antlers prohibited him. When I first went into the hall, I heard a clatter out the window. Then when I finally saw him through another window, he was walking in the direction of the woods away from the trough.

So now... at 3:50 pm I stand typing on my laptop on the kitchen counter, doing sentry duty looking for them to come back tonight. They have fresh water waiting for them. Our windows are freshly cleaned inside and out. My camera sits five feet away from me with a freshly charged battery in it. And I even strategically placed a bucket full of water that the bull would be able to drink from, free of obstructions for his antlers.

I am certain they will not come today.

Merely because I am so prepared, so expectant, so waiting and watching.

That water in the trough WAS pretty nasty. I don't know how they could drink from it. But I cleaned it all out and transferred the cleaner water from another rain catching trough into the one they, I hope, are learning to drink from regularly. I'm hoping that Mr. Bull has not deemed this pit stop unfit because the water was so rank or because he couldn't drink from it.

We shall see.

Watching and waiting...