Easter Bighorns

bighorn ewe

Behind her is at least a 400 ft drop

Over the bridge and up the cliff, basically. The narrow, rocky road with no guardrail climbed halfway to the Carson road before we saw them grazing quietly in a sheltered ravine no more than thirty feet away. A buck and four ewes. We stopped, of course, and stayed a long, long time. I got out and slowly walked around the truck without them getting spooked. They’re fairly placid creatures, anyway. Speaking of the Dakota, this road is yet another I would normally avoid in lesser vehicles, but just look what we found there. Finally the right tool for the job.

This was our Easter getaway, twenty minutes down the road. It’s astonishing how therapeutic hanging out with bighorn sheep, Canada geese, mallards, and buffleheads can be. There’s a greater mystery here, too. Just look into those eyes. The intelligence and spirit. I’ve stared at this off and on for what must add up to an hour, easy. My reluctance at breaking the connection is profound.

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John Hamilton Farr lives at 7,000 feet in Ranchos de Taos, New Mexico, U.S.A. As New York Times best-selling author James C. Moore tells it, John is “a man attuned to the world who sees it differently than you and I and writes about it with a language and a vision of life that is impossible to ignore.” This JHFARR.COM site is the master writing archive. To email John, please see CONTACT INFO on About page. For a complete list of all John’s writing, photography, NFTs, and social media links, please visit JHFARR.ART  

  • Stephen Slottow April 1, 2018, 11:13 PM

    May I put this photo on my FB page, giving you credit and linking to your site?

    • JHF April 2, 2018, 7:54 AM

      Sorry, I don’t do that. But I do appreciate that you asked permission first! However, you can always buy a copy and take a picture of it hanging on your wall. 🙂 Every photo posted here is always for sale at my Smugmug account.

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