Zion's National Park, Utah

Came through Zion's National Park after attending a meeting in Las Vegas. Zion's is one of those naturally blessed places, something Utah has so much of. And fortunately for those of us who live here, one of the most endowed places in this country is off the tourist's beaten path.

It was one of those quiet Winter mornings in the park. I was one of the few visitors, with the only other traffic being deer.

This guy didn't stop at the stop sign. He's lucky I didn't report him.

I managed to get fairly close to this adolescent mule deer with the big ears. The secret to getting so close is to be quiet, keep low, no abrupt movements, and try to blend in as much as possible with the vegetation. With my bright yellow Lands End jacket, I blended in well with the local banana trees. Make sure one's camera has as humongous a telephoto lens as possible. I did. Oh, and one last thing. Be in a national park where wildlife is protected and are used to being around people. That helps a lot.

Even then this guy somehow spotted me and darted off, despite my camaflouged bright yellow jacket.

I've been around this big wide planet. What a blessing to have some of its best features right here at home.