I Ran

 I was astonished to discover that, given sufficient incentive, I still could.

See, we have been too busy to bird as much as we used to, plus....you know...gas prices....

So we took a short trip down to the Schoharie Crossing boat launch, just to get out a little bit.

It was raining lightly, warm, sticky, and buggy, but there were a few birds around, and as usual I climbed the steep ramp up to the base of the aqueduct. You can't see the top of the slope from the bottom and it is steep enough to be a bit of a challenge on the slippery grass.

However, from the top you can see down into a sort o a slough where I have found everything from broods of assorted ducklings with their mamas to otters and gigantic cart cavorting merrily as they spawned.

This time though,  as my head popped up over the edge, I stopped instantaneously.

Holy cow! That'll put a halt on ya!

It had its head buried in the dirt under the grass, foraging for something yummy. I snapped a couple of quick....really, really quick...photos, and then realized. If that thing lifted its head I would be in trouble and most likely walking home....

....for the next several months.

So I got outta Dodge.  I actually ran. Down the slip-and-slide of the ramp and off along the edge of the woody strip between the river and the parkland.

As I said, I was utterly astonished that I could in fact, still run. Even when we had the cows and were working them, or corralling escapees or something of that ilk, I almost always relied on knowing where to stand and how to look and sound intimidating to get them to go where we wanted them. When you reach a certain age and embonpoint, judgement beats agility all hollow. 

However, even though they are both black-and-white, skunks have a certain something that even the fiercest Holsteins lack.

 I am glad to have escaped unscathed. 

I don't think even this would have helped