Painting: "First Steps"

The area surrounding our home is often frequented by wild-life. On any given day, it is not unusual to see fox, turkey, hawks, osprey, partridge, deer (sometimes with a new born fawn), hummingbirds, porcupine, skunks, and snakes (ugh! sorry...I just don't care for the snakes!) On many occasions we have had a bear or moose meander across our front or back yard, tromping through without a care. There was even a bull moose in our cellar hole before we built the house.....but that's another story for another day!


One morning, a year ago this spring, my husband and I were sitting on our front porch enjoying a cup of coffee, when all of a sudden a large cow moose stepped out of the woods near our driveway, just below the house. Of course, it's always exciting to see a moose in your yard. But, just imagine our surprise when she was soon followed by two fuzzy, very young, wobbly legged offspring!


The cow stood looking at us sitting on the porch for a few moments, and then slowly turned and walked down the drive, followed closely behind by the twins. It was obvious they had been born only a short time before, as they wobbled and swayed, bumping into each other and their mother, attempting to keep up with her.


My husband quickly went to get the camera, and then followed cautiously, not wanting to startle the twins, or unnerve their mother. A short distance down the drive, she stopped, and nudged her little ones into a pose, just long enough for my husband to snap a couple of pictures. She seemed to be introducing them, and we were thrilled to have witnessed their first "coming out".


Throughout the summer, the twins were spotted around the neighborhood, and we are certain they were the same pair that trotted across our back yard, later in the fall. At that point, they were well on their way to becoming full grown, and they were quick to move across the lawn and back into the woods. As fate would have it, however, one of them was hit by a vehicle, only a few days later. It was a sad reality, which unfortunately is a part of life in the north country.


Their short visit, both to our yard and to this earth, did cause us to reflect on how fleeting moments can be, and how important it is to remember to simply stop and take notice. We're so pleased we had the opportunity to see the twins that morning, and we were lucky to have captured a picture of their first adventure. The image has since remained on my "must do" list, and has finally become the subject of one of my most recent paintings. "First Steps" is my rendition of the twins with their mother....a tribute to their first introduction into this often very wobbly world.

Please stop by my booth to view this painting at the CRAG Art Show, during the 16th Annual Moose Festival, on August 24th, in Colebrook, NH.