| Finally, the confluence. Turns out it does have a view of Meteor Crater. |
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Off to the northwest was an antelope watching us. Antelope are more curious than they should be. That 52 mph wind was blowing directly from us to him. He left, but came back a few minutes later with a pal. They both stood watching for a few minutes, but bolted when I took off my hat. I took this photo of the two of them, which sealed my decision to buy a camera with a zoom lens. |
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Update, 2005: Adjunct antelope curiosity anecdote:
"The buffalo, elk and antelope are so gentle that we pass near them while feeding without appearing to excite any alarm among them, and when we attract their attention, they frequently approach us more nearly to discover what we are, and in some instances pursue us a considerable distance apparently with that view." |
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Update, 2006: Further on antelope curiosity:
"What's interesting about animals being curiously afraid is that it's the most fearful animals who are also the most curious. You'd think it would be the exact opposite. A fearful prey animal like a deer or a cow ought to just get the hell out of there whenever it sees something strange and different that it doesn't understand. But that's not what happens. The more fearful the animal, the more likely he is to investigate. Indians used this principle to hunt antelope. They'd lie down on the ground holding a flag, and when the antelope came up to investigate they'd kill it." (222)
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| Here's the best I can do by way of enlargement. Real National Geographic-type of shot, yeah? |
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I took this shot of the sun setting, as a gift to whoever found our bodies. |
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If I am not an impersonator, that must mean we made it back to the vehicle ok.
Meteor Crater was closed. "Sorry folks, we have to close the crater at night -- er, so it doesn't catch a chill." Chill is right... |
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