These Beautiful Mountains

We took the dogs for a hike this morning in nearby Wheeler Canyon. The rushing water alongside the trail was soothing and deafening at the same time. The midmorning light was bright and hot. I knew I'd need to come back late afternoon or early evening to photograph it with softer light.

We'd had signs of a large animal visiting our house the past three evenings. We discovered it was a cougar last night when our 19 year old, Luke, caught him in the headlights of the car as he pulled into the driveway. I wasn't too keen to hike by myself at dusk, anyway, and this didn't make me any more so. My husband had work to do, so he suggested that I take Luke as my "bodyguard". He was a good sport and came along for the hike.

It was worth the walk...and it was fun to have him along with me anyway. He's a terrific young man and we'll miss him when he leaves us to serve his two year mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in just a few more weeks.