S M R Ducks - Missoula, Montana

This mallard pair paddled fearlessly right up within a few feet of where I stood on the snowy bank of Greenough Park's Rattlesnake Creek. I watched and snapped delightedly for about 15 minutes as they repeatedly ducked under and resurfaced. Apparently, the feeding was too good to be bothered by the likes of me.

S M R Ducks at Lee Metcalf Wildlife Refuge, Stevensville, Montana

It's amazing how the words of a well-spoken teacher can stick with you for life, altering your perception of certain situations. I'll never forget an illustration of one of my Bible school teachers, who also happened to be a veterinarian who shared his skinny guy struggle with reducing his cholesterol. He wrote on the board, "M R Ducks. No M R not ducks. S M R Ducks - C M wangs?... "  - this is what runs through my head upon viewing such a beautiful scene of nature.  While I'm hazy on the point he was making, I think it had to do with how you tend to see things, simple or complicated unnecessarily.

Hieronymous Park, Hamilton - Ducks On Sunset Pond

This year, the golden, perfect days of fall continued right up to first snowfall.  Hieronymous Park in Hamilton, MT, is a great place to stroll & enjoy meadows, mountains, & miscellaneous mammals. (Sorry, once I started with the "m" words, they continued, unrelenting!)