When these little guys start showing up, you know spring is just about here.

This photo almost didn’t happen. When I got outside, I was excited to see a passing cruise ship. Being the only time since January 2nd that I encountered a cruise ship in the morning, I raced down to the end of the pier and hurriedly took a series of photos just in the nick of time as it gracefully passed by. But, since I had been in such a rush to get set up and take the photos, none of the photos came out that great. They looked rushed, they were loaded with technical flaws, and they failed to capture the essence of the scene. It was obvious I had tried to force it.

Luckily, this family of geese had been swimming around. A few of the geese were included in some of the cruise ship photos, but as I mentioned those photos were unsuccessful. So, I decided to try to feature the geese in the foreground of the picture. I followed them around the shoreline for a few minutes and eventually settled into a spot where I just watched them and waited. Eventually, they started to make their way up the ramp to get out of the water. I knew this would be my chance. I slowly approached the ramp and captured a few photos as the geese seemed a bit confused and alarmed by my presence. After a few moments, I slowly backed away, knowing that if I stayed much longer I would be pressing my luck.

The moral of the story for me today is that sometimes you just have to sit back and let things unfold. If you try to force a situation, it might not turn out the way you had intended. And often the more natural outcome is the most favorable anyway.

The photograph you see here was my final shot before returning home, which, if you’ve been reading my blog, you’ll know is a recurring theme for me.