87 F/ 31 C

I never know what
surprises await me in
the early morning...

~carliewired

I caught some colour beside my mountains before 5 AM, then I was on my way to Paul Lake. No dazzling sun this morning. All looks rather subdued. 

Near the lake, I rounded a corner to find a doe and her spotted fawn on the road. They were too fast for me. They bounded up off the road and disappeared in the trees. 

I parked beside the west end of the lake to catch this broad view. Someone's pride and joy was anchored close by.

I watched a mama mallard herding her little ducklings at the lakeside. She was pulling down strands of grass for her babies. They were almost invisible to me tucked under the overhang of weeds and grasses. 

As I was watching the ducks, a brown head came floating by.......a beaver! I followed him in my camera to the tree on the edge of someone's property. He climbed up the bank through the underbrush to pick some daisies which he dragged back down into the lake to munch. He huddled there sampling all sorts of leaves and small branches. It wasn't long before he was joined by another beaver. I was fascinated to watch them. 

The osprey nest was occupied. It seemed there was some housekeeping going on, Something was tossed over the edge of the nest. 

On my way back down I found a horse out on the road. It would have come through the fence somewhere nearby. It was very focused on the chicory along the roadside. 

My last shot was horses out on the range. The herd was far off along the tree line. I got one lucky shot. 

I have some household tasks this morning, then I'm free.