“The Patriarch, Day’s End”

By

Daniel F. Heuer

 

The day is ending as the big buck steps up on the top of the hill to oversee his current domain.  The warm colors of a setting sun expose his presence and makes a perfect silhouette as he becomes so highly visible on that magnificent skyline.  His rare outline shows his defiance to exposing himself to his surrounding area, as he is “The Patriarch” of his domain, at “Day’s End”. 

 

I had the rare opportunity to see a big buck do something similar to this artistic rendition of that experience, one late October day just before deer season, here in Northern Michigan.  He had stepped out into the open, actually on the road where I had traveled many times before.  The sun was setting in those deep warm fall colors and he stuck out like a sore thumb, as he was on top of the hill of the road, just slightly below it.  I always remembered how deep that setting sunset was, and it has stayed in my memories for so many years, that very beautiful scene.  This is my best effort to try and artistically recreate that experience I had seen and remembered from so many years ago, etched within my memories.  I hope that those of you who elect to share these memories with me, enjoy it as much as I have in making my best effort to recreate it from that experience for others to also enjoy.