The Porcupine Hunters

Miss Donna and I went to our nearby state park again this morning for another walk. This one was for 4.91 miles.

But the best part of the walk, at least for me, occurred within the first quarter mile or so. 

As we were ambling slowly along trying to loosen our legs up before Miss Donna shifted into high gear -- which she usually does and then leaves me behind -- I heard a rustling just off the road to our right. I quickly turned and spotted a good sized brown ball with spikes moving about in the brush. I quickly got my camera and began shooting.

I guess this butterball porcupine was afraid of us for he headed for a tree and began climbing. He didn't waste much time and he was soon about 10 feet up the tree. Below are the shots I captured as we watched. The first 4 pictures are zoomed in, but the last is not.

As soon as he spotted us, he headed for a tree.

In no time at all, he was about eye level.

This chubby rascal hasn't missed many meals, has he?

He's almost where he wants to be.

He's now snug and safe from Miss Donna, who likes her porcupine medium rare. Since this photo is not zoomed, it shows just how close we were to the little fellow.

Immediately after this, several deer crossed the road in front of us, but I couldn't get a good picture. About a half mile farther down the road, we saw several white tails -- and basically only the white tails -- disappear into some heavy brush. 

I love a good walk in the park.