Surprise at the Front Door

Yesterday afternoon I needed to mail some things so decided rather than getting in the car, I'd walk the 1.5 miles to the post office near where we're staying since it was such a beautiful day.

It was something I've been meaning to do ever since we got here because it's just so beautiful and I wanted to walk it so I could slowly soak it in.

One of the things that has delighted me is all the color, in the middle of winter! Deep blues, vibrant golds, warm greens, vivid reds...I wanted some pictures to remember how colorful it was here.

I stopped at one point on the way back and set the camera on a post so I could take a picture to look back on and remember that I really was under sky that blue, in the winter, while in Wyoming.

There was one concern niggling at the back of my mind as I walked, but being caught up by all the beauty, it stayed in its place. For a little while, at least.

As I headed down this street, I remembered what I'd seen on the road just the day before.

"Hmmm," I thought, "what will I do if I see it there again today? I guess I can always call Dave if I need his help."

I passed safely by the spot and promptly forgot about my worry.

Until I turned the corner and headed towards the house we're staying in.

Right there. At the front door. Where I LEAST suspected.

He stood!!!

A HUGE moose looking straight at me as he munched from the bushes near the very door where I needed to go in!!!

I grabbed my phone to call Dave, only to find that I was out of battery. UGH. And YIKES! What to do?

With my heart pounding, I thought through my options, looked for an escape route, and then pointed my camera to start clicking. No way was I missing this opportunity!

He didn't seem overly concerned about me, but there was sure no way I was going to the front door with him standing just steps away!

While he was fascinating to look at it, I knew better than to get any closer than I was, so slowly edged my way around the house next door, hoping to go to the back of our house and call out to Dave inside. I still didn't know how I was going to get inside with that moose at the front door, and if Dave couldn't hear me.

With snow trickling over the edges of my boots as I made my way through the drifts behind the house, I was captivated by the beauty of the Tetons (so clicked the above photo), even though my heart was still pounding hard from the encounter with that big guy.

Coming around the back of the house, I could see through the glass into the front where the moose still stood. Can you see how close he was to the front door?!

Just about to start calling out to Dave, I noticed that he decided to move on his way so stayed quiet and just took a few photos.

By this time, with two panes of glass, and the house between us, I was feeling safer anyway and wanted to see what he did.

He wasn't a very agile fellow, and it took him a bit to climb out of the bushes and amble on his way.  But thankfully he did and I was able to walk back around the house to let myself in, rather quickly, I might add, just in case he decided to come back that way.

My heart is still pounding a bit as I reflect back on my afternoon surprise yesterday. What a shock to see a moose standing at the front door!

On the other hand, now that I'm safe, how cool it was to have seen him so close with my own eyes!