Early Morning in the Meadow

Thursday June 25, 2015                                                                                       Previous Post:
Big Meadows Campground                                                                                The Limberlost and Skyland
Shenandoah National Park, Virginia

 

 

It’s beginning to be my chosen morning  routine to go to the meadow for sunrise.  It’s just such a wonderful way to start the day.   Today it appears as though the clouds are trying to push the sun and its colors back down.  They form a nearly straight line just above the horizon. 

 

 

 

 

After taking way too many pictures of its various stages of rising, I start out walking down a path and enjoying the grasses and flowers all around me.   I see every stage of bloom.  

 

 

 

 

I wonder what really is the difference between a meadow and a prairie. As you can see, these grasses are very tall.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The sun casts its golden glow on the meadow.  It doesn’t last long but even with the clouds in the sky it looks as though a goddess has poured butter everywhere.

 

 

 

 

I share the field with many different deer this morning including this young male just getting a start on his antlers.

 

 

These Fly Poison are green at the bottom.  I’ve never seen that before.

The field is full of them.

 

 

And of milkweed.  Can the monarchs be far behind?

 

This is the first buck I’ve seen in the mornings.  His antlers are completely velvet.

 

 

 

There have been doe with fawns each morning.  They watch me to make sure I’m not going to cause trouble and then proceed on their way.

 

 

 

The grasses are so tall they go in the way of this picture of the fawn on its hind legs peeking over the doe’s shoulder.

The fawn’s legs seem to have gotten much longer since last week or perhaps this is a totally different pair than I’ve seen.

 

 

I wander around for nearly two hours and finally start to head back toward the road on this path when I hear voices, several voices.

 

 

 

Actually, the two of us hear voices.  I’m probably 6 feet from the deer who isn’t paying much attention to me but she snaps to attention at the sound of the voices and I get numerous pictures of her as she stands absolutely still.  Only her ears are moving.

 

 

We both relax when the horses and riders come in to view.  There are numerous horse trails in the park but I’ve never seen them out so early in the morning.

 

I wonder if you see more, or less wildlife if you are on horseback rather than on foot?