lessons in camouflage

couldn't sleep so i decided to head to the garden park - trying to catch the sunrise... it was turning out to be a lovely sky...

i arrived at my usual spot - got settled - began the wait - watching the sky begin to change from inky black to soft midnight blues and shades of orange and pink... the snap, snap commenced...

then i heard branches move below me - i was up on a ridge - with trees and bushes gently sloping below me - starting about 15 feet away... stomp... stomp... rattle... rattle... i ignored it at first since i was concentrating on the sky - but then it became distracting - and a bit disturbing... not that i thought there was some fugitive hiding out or anything - i do believe that god was protecting me. however, i also think it's important to be smart. i went back to snapping - continuing to hear rustling just feet away then swore i could hear chomping... really? maybe it's deer! boo! sure enough... it got light enough and they'd moved, i could see an outline... barely as i didn't have my glasses on. it became - the sunrise... the deer... sun - deer... i said "lord... hold fast, okay?" and rushed back to the car for my glasses and then shuffled back to the ridge...

putting my glasses on - goodness me - there was a family of 3 deer hanging out... i couldn't believe my great fortune - how providential... this fellow kept glancing at me from between branches as i talked to him - as the others looked at me every now and then from further below... it's sort of like the conversation went like this:

hey there... you... you know you're being a bit loud this morning?

really? i'm doing a bit of teaching to the young ones... lessons in camouflage - they've got to learn...

oh i see...

can you see me?

well... yes i can...

but i'm blending into the foliage nicely...

oh... yes, sweet thing you do... plus i have my glasses on... ummmm... you know, your young ones are further down the ridge?

at this point - i kid you not - he turns his head and glances down, then looks back at me... then down at the ground ignoring me - i may have offended him - perhaps the flash was bothering him... poor thing wasn't expecting a crazy person to crash his lesson plan with the family.

i know this isn't the best of pictures... since it was so early in the a.m. i really didn't know how to shoot it... the flash came up automatically but i think the lighting is off because the sun was also rising... and i got confused... but it's one of those things that when you begin your day with it - and it feels like such a blessing, how do you not post it and make it part of your journal. but guidance on how to capture these kinds of pictures would be appreciated - knowing that i'm a novice and need basic layman's info... thanks.

happy day.....