No photo

We are fortunate to live in the country surrounded by wildlife - a great inspiration for my paintings. Turkeys and deer are common. Grouse, quail, porcupine, 5 species of woodpeckers including pileated woodpeckers, coyotes, and flying squirrels are also visitors. The occasional moose, bear, bald eagle, and sharp-shinned hawk are rare treats.
Yesterday I saw "our" snowshoe hare. It was not a very long look. Just long enough to see his white feet and paws before he hopped into the brush. We always see him roughly in the same place and alone. Is he the bravest of a group or alone in the woods? Snowshoe hares live 3 -5 years in the wild depending on how rich the area is in predators. Unless this guy is really, really old we've had more than one. But, is he the last? Sometimes we go a year without seeing one.
I could spend some time trying to get a photo. I know where he hangs out and it would be fun to see him for a longer stretch than the usual fleeting glance. But, getting a photo would almost certainly add stress to his environment. It isn't worth it. I am satisfied with the knowledge that a snowshoe hare lives here.

I will leave you with a photo I did take this month in our yard. This guy could care less about the camera.

Photo by Linda Besse, April 2015