Deer at Dawn

Woke up at 5 something this morning, happened to look out of the window and saw the sky turning orange on the horizon.

"I must be bloody mad!" I muttered to myself as I stumbled about finding clothes and bits of camera gear.

Part of me was regretting looking out of the window in the first place; I could have gone back to bed in blissful ignorance, denying all knowledge of missed photo opportunities as I dreamed of randomness.

But the genie was out of the bottle and it wasn't going back in, so I got myself ready and hotfooted it up to the moor.

It was beautiful. The grass was littered with dew soaked webs; the cities of Leeds and Bradford were shrouded in misty silence like ancient forts awaiting messages from horsemen; for a moment I wondered if I could do this *every* morning.

It was warm and the mist was rising, so to begin with the only scenes that could be gained were from the summit of the moor.

I promised myself not to blip the Trig point again for awhile but I couldn't resist these two which I've put in my Blifolio.

Here

and

Here

As the sun rose, the brightness was too much for photo's (I need filters), so I headed down as the new warmth burned off the rivens of mist that still clung to the shadows.

While the mist began to rise I spotted a pair of young deer playing on the edge of the golf course. My heart quickened - I *so* wanted this photo but I knew, I *knew* I was never going to get it. Deer in the morning fog as the orange sun cast long shadows - not a chance.

I skirted the edge of the golf course; they had already seen me (probably smelled me - I *was* straight out of bed!) but were unconcerned. This time of the day it was their world and I was the intruder - they could outrun me, disappear into the mist if necessary. I got as close as I could, trying to get the mist, the sky, the shrouded trees - I needed the tripod - it was still relatively dark - I carefully set it up trying not startle them and I took a few photo's before they decided that the party was over and they went to wherever they go. Not hurriedly, but one minute they were there, then they weren't.

But I'll be back! Could you imagine if this was a snowy scene? Or if I could have got closer? Or had a watery outline of the sun up the top right? Or had them looking right at me, a dozen of them?

It's all out there!