Lesson Learned

So... Today I decided to go hiking. And get some great shots it snowed all day yesterday and the day before, but only a little this morning. As I head out the door the sun is shinning, I drive about 3 miles up the mountain, pick a spot to park by a snow covered trail and pull over. All I have brought is the clothes on my back (appropriate for a sunny after snow day) and my camera. So I started up the trail and I got a bout a mile up the road before I run into HEAVY HEAVY snow fall... I took cover under a tree a large pine tree and decided to wait it out. It didn't last very long, and before I knew it... the grey clouds were moving and the blue skies were coming... I continued along the hike and kind of lost myself out there, about 3 miles up the way I noticed I could either go straight or to the left, ( which I believed was back towards the main road ) or of course head back the way I came. I was feeling adventurous today, I had already started out on a hike, I had never been on, just me and my trusty camera, in the snow, I had climbed mountains (more like small hills) I had climbed over fallen trees ( more like branches ) I had found bugs (tiny ones) walked past rushing rivers of ice cold water ( only about 2ft at the very deepest )... so I chose the unknown path to the left... thinking I was being adventurous. It led me back to the main road. where my car was about 2 miles down. All day I had been waiting for that perfect shot, the one that always catches my eye when I don't have my camera. The one I see but cant stare at when I am driving, because I am driving. That breath taking, beautiful shot, the one you remember in your mind always. I had a lot of shots by this point, the trail, the water, the moss... ooooo the moss. Plenty of shots to remember the hike by, but not that ONE... that ONE shot. I see the clouds starting to roll in and decide to get some last shots of the sky and the mountain before I call it a day and try to beat the snow back to my car. On the main road. So I put my camera back safely in its bag, and back on my shoulder and cross the street. As I get to the other side I hear a startling sound of a large animal and as I WHIP my head to the left of me, ( towards the trail and the water and away from the road ) I stop DEAD IN MY TRACKS, because not 4 feet away from me a very young, sleepy looking, startled moose is standing about 5 feet tall starring me in the face. I notice the snow under the moose I melted and I see snow stuck to his fur. I stand there starring, trying not to scare the young moose away, with a small fear inside of me, fear of this beautiful wild animal. I slowly reach to my bag to grab my camera, this is "the shot" THEE shot... the one I have been waiting for all day. The moose trots off about 20 to 30 feet in the trees to a distance it feels safe, so of course I missed it. It was a beautiful site, one I will always remember. but LESSON LEARNED... the moral of the story is... never put your camera away... you will miss that breathtaking shot, because it is gone in a second. The only difference between you and everyone else that sees that beautiful site is that YOU have the camera to capture it, so don't miss it.