Using Your Imagination...

Today is an exercise that involves using your imagination! 

Why you may ask?

Well, because I've had an adventure that did not involve a camera.

Incredible, I know, I know!

Yes, I left home the other day without my camera, and I missed out on one of the greatest photo opportunities because of that!

So.... because I don't have any pictures to tell this story with.... you're just going to have to use your imagination!

Shouldn't be difficult at all really... I'll just describe the events of the day, and you are free to fill in the details as you please....

It all started with a trip to town with a bunch of girls. We were just going to town to visit some of the local shops in the downtown area that always seem to beckon us as we hurriedly passed by on our way to do more important things like grocery shop! 

Well, today, we left the grocery shopping to the end of the day and went through some of the shops in the downtown river area and just enjoyed "window shopping."  None of us really had any money to spend, but it was just nice to get out with the girls, and see the sights.

Later, after we had done some window shopping and all the stores were closing, we made our visit over to Walmart to pick up a few necessities before heading back home.

On the way home, the sun was just starting to slide behind the purple-hued mountains, and this was when I began to realize the folly of having left my camera at home.  It seemed like every bend in the road brought a different view of the clouds, the sky, and the sun over the mountains, and it was simply enchanting!  The girls were all getting into the game now.  All of us were agonizing over the lack of the camera. 

Most of the time my family just looks at me with this puzzled wondering look when I begin to take pictures.  My husband thinks that once you've got one picture of a sunset....  that's the only one you'll ever need... but, he patiently puts up with my love affair with the clouds, skies and mountains here in Idaho.  Maybe one day... he'll remind me to bring my camera in case I ever forget it again!

So, this is where your imagination must take over. I'm sorry to report that I have no pictures of the compelling ball of fire that we faced driving home with the slideshow view in front of us that  began showcasing one incredible view after the other with rosy, peach, lavender and frothy pink colored clouds sashaying across the purple mountains with the sun's ball of fire slowly slipping down to the other side of the world.

At one point, I distinctly remember the black hue of the mountains overshadowed by the blazing hot orange colors of the sunset, and it was so unique that all the girls were crying out "Look LOOK LOOOOK!!"

Sadly enough, this event was not even the most distressing part of my camera dilemma. 

We were just about to turn into the driveway to drop the girls off at their home, when I spotted something in the bushes just ahead of the turn.

My heart jumped and sank all at the same time.

It jumped because I realized it was a moose feeding there on the side of the road.

My heart sank.... because.... I didn't have my camera!

I don't believe we have EVER been this close to a moose in all the time we've been here in Idaho.  We were able to just pull off the road, right across from the moose and just sit there with our four-way blinkers on (to warn oncoming traffic) and just watch this magnificent creature eat his way through the weeds in the ditch.

Then, I remembered that I did have a camera with me.  It was my cell phone camera.  Now, I don't have one of those fangle-dangled 'smarter than you' smart phones.  I just have a plain-Jane phone that does basic phone functions like sending and receiving calls. But, it does possess a camera in it, although I've never had much luck taking pictures with it.

You'll see why here in just a minute.

So, I pulled out my camera phone, and tried to get a decent picture of the moose.  But, the moose was too far away even at that close range.  With my plain-Jane phone... I could have been miles away for all the good the camera was able to do.... you could barely see the moose and it looked far off in the distance when in reality it was just across the road.

So I got a really bright idea.  I decided I would try to pull up a little closer to our friend here, and see if I could roll down the passenger window long enough to get a better picture.

Did anyone ever tell you that photography can be dangerous business?

Well, it is.  But, I wasn't scared not in the least.

After all, I was in my van that had already been totaled by an incident with an elk a few months back... and still running strong.. so... I wasn't worried.

I turned the van into the driveway across the road, right next to where the moose was.  I was hoping, really hoping that he would just ignore us, let me get my picture, and let us continue on our merry way.

But.... no.....

Obviously the moose wasn't reading my mind...

As I pulled up next to him, and rolled down the window....

He had had enough.  He had glanced our direction once or twice while we sat on the side of the road and watched him.  But now... he wasn't happy.

He took one look at my camera phone, and off he went.

It was amazing to watch him run off.... his big gangly legs that were somehow quite rhythmic and determined in their efforts to get away from us.

He turned sharply away from us, and ran straight into the backyard of some unsuspecting people, I'm sure.  He didn't waste any time at all disappearing into their backyard. 

And so, I didn't get the picture I wanted either.  I did "snap" a picture, but that's exactly what the picture looks like, a snap and a jiggle.

But, in case your imagination really hasn't gotten into gear, and you just want to see the pictures I tried to take with this plain Jane camera phone... here goes.  

So there you have the sad pictures of our moose sighting. 

And here is the picture that I tried to take while maneuvering a car across a highway, rolling down the window, and trying to take a picture all at the same time... no wonder the moose hightailed it out of there! 

So, I think I've learned my lesson... my camera goes with me and my purse, wherever we go.  It just proves to anyone who wants to hear, that you just never know what lies around the corner here in Idaho...  and it's better to be prepared... than not!!