Saturday in Harney County

My heart skipped a beat.

"Mom, stop, I see something," said Nikki to her mom. Lea did as she was told and we all looked out to the left over the valley and out into the sage.

It was mid afternoon and we'd finished things up at the adoption a bit earlier. A dusting of snow spotted the ground here and there out on the high desert. A few colored specks were visible out there, and then just below and to the right a few more. Binoculars and camera lenses came out as the four of us peered out into the distance.

And my heart skipped a beat.

It was him. I was sure of it. I could only see his back as he had his head buried deep down in the sage searching for a bit of food, but that was enough. My heart was singing to me. I jumped from the car, camera in hand, out into the bitter cold and began trudging across the landscape in an effort to get a closer look at my boy.

Before long the others were following. I turned back and called over my shoulder, "It's Honor."

"Where?"

"Out there, that little group of four," I replied.

Honor's head was now up so that I could get a good look through my lens. Yes, it was indeed my lovely boy. He was quite some distance away, but he saw us and was walking down the hillside like any good leader would, ears pricked up and eyes trained on the potential threat.

The distance was further than we could go. Alone? I'd have made the trek. But not with people in tow...not in that weather with the wind blowing about our faces. Noses were red, eyes were stinging and fingers near frost nip. But to see him again...so worth it!