Benezette and a broken lens

Our annual pilgrimage to Elk Country didn't turn out as planned.
A broken zoom lens contributed to the loss of focus in all my photos.

I had dropped my camera a day earlier and assumed that all was well. When I couldn't seem to bring any photos into focus, I noticed that the lens had sustained some damage.

However, the focus of the day trip wasn't just about the photos. They would have just been the icing on the cake.

The real focus was enjoying beautiful autumn day outside and viewing the wildlife from a few counties over.

My husband and my parents' joined me on this excursion.
We saw a decent number of elks.

They were in a hollow behind the area known as Woodring Farm. They were far away, but could be heard across the valleys.

I marveled at all the sounds the males make while courting the females. The landscape echoed with their bugles.

One bull made all kinds of noises trying to get on one female's good side, but she wasn't having it.

After watching the elk, we decided to move on. At the top of the hill at Woodring Farm, I chased a monarch down for yet another blurry series of photos.

​I also observed many milkweed pods bursting with their fuzzy seedlings.

I was tempted to fill my pockets and steal some seeds for my own garden.
​

Our trip also included a stop at the Elk Country Visitor Center.

There my husband purchased nearly a half of dozen more Elk Country mugs.
He insisted they were all different than the dozens of mugs purchased previous years that already crowded our cupboards.

There were a few elk sighted there too.

​However, they were just beyond a small hill and that made viewing difficult.

After the sun, set we followed the long line of traffic heading out of Benezette.
​
However several miles down the road, my dad pointed out a large bull elk standing right on the berm of the busy road.

At least the big bull decided not to cross in front of our vehicle.

A broken lens was one thing. A broken vehicle and injured elk would have been another.

​That's just the nature of things 'round here.