I am in the midst of a move from Washington state to Oklahoma, but I am proud to say that I am not at all stressed. Our family has taken the opportunity to make a road trip out of this relocation. Upcoming posts will share some awesome pictures and adventures that we encounter on this journey. For now, I am spending the time soaking up the quality family memory-making time. I do look at the photos that I take each and every night though, and this one was one that made me laugh out loud.We were driving down Route 101 in Oregon when cars began pulling onto a side road in multiples. My curiosity compelled me to pull a no-notice-u-turn to follow them, and was delighted to find a true stag party: 20+ male elk chilling out in a field. We all stood beside the fence about 50 yards away and took pictures and just observed the massive wild animals as they relaxed. It was unclear which animal was more entertained by the encounter: human or dlk. In either case, I took a photo of two elk lying down beside one another to use as a “best friends” image. I didn’t realize that one of them was chewing. When I loaded it up on my laptop later, I laughed because the one elk appears to be looking at me and smiling as he chewed whatever was in his mouth! A quick accidental smile of an elk captured forever amidst a life-altering journey. I was already proud of myself for relaxing and enjoying the adventure, but now I really believe that my higher power both agrees with me and has a sense of humor. I believe everything happens for a reason. I wasn’t planning on going to that field to take pictures. I could have just driven right by at the brisk 65mph my van was hustling before and afterward. The elk surely did not plan a photo session in the middle of his afternoon siesta. I could have missed the images I took, and the opportunity to be so close to such awesome creatures. I could have missed out on a message if I hadn’t been listening, and my camera hadn’t been ready. Thanks Mr. Elk for chewing right in that moment to help me get the message from The Big Guy… Now back to my family adventure part two: Viva Las Vegas!!!
