Look how big the babies are! How fast they grow up. Unfortunately, I didn't have a good shot of the bull with antlers still in velvet that's amongst the herd. He's behind some of the cows to the right of the picture.Now, when I see elk, I think of the guests who call down to the front desk wanting to know what time the elk come out in the evening. Was I being flip when I replied, "The elk are independently minded beasts, sir"? I didn't mean to be, but that's what came out. How to convey that the elk just pass through whenever they want to? Sometimes we pretend we called them up specifically for the guests.
It's interesting to have the elk pass this close to the tourists. In the background, behind the herd, are orange cones and Park Rangers in a effort to keep the tourists from doing something stupid. Like...a couple of weeks ago our bellman ran out and yelled at a family who had walked up to an elk and starting petting it. Apparently, the elk had enough when the parents tried to put the son on its back. Not deterred, the family started chasing the elk, so finally the bellman just had to yell at them.
I've now learned what an elk sounds like. The mothers and calves call to each other to keep track of each other.
ah, tourists. We are also having our annual influx, with the corresponding stories and stresses!
ReplyDeleteI can't blame the bellboy from going out and yelling at the tourists, and your comment, Amy, about the coming-out of the elk was very apropros, it seems to me.
ReplyDeleteM&D Netarts
This story of the family reminds me of when I was about 6, Kathy 5, and Carol 4, on a family vacation in the Smokey Mts. Driving up a curvy mountain road we spotted a mother bear with 3 little cubs on the side of the road. My mother thought it would be cute to have a picture of 3 little girls standing next to 3 little cubs. We're lucky the mother bear didn't rise up against us! MOM
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