Elk

Actually from Monday evening, posting for yesterday. I wrote a whole post last night and my internet wasn't working....gone!

We saw an elk doe and her two babies in Gearhart, Oregon (where Dick lives) on Monday night. It was a bit of an unusual sighting, at least lately, since the herd has been culled over the past few years. (Interesting reading if you're so inclined: Elk and Humans). So we went out to the street and watched as the elk walked towards the beach. We turned to leave and much to my surprise, there was an elk standing arm's length from me! She had approached so quietly that I didn't even realize she was there. I was startled but reacted very quietly, simply saying something like "What a beautiful creature you are!" and very slowly backed away. It was an incredible experience, and perhaps a good lesson that, although we seemed perfectly safe, one should be aware of how to act during a wild animal and human interaction. Lovely, huge creatures. Thank goodness a male wasn't immediately around.