Anticipation

Anticipation, is making your wait, keeping you waiting. Isn't that how the song goes? Anticipation; "a prior action that takes into account or forestalls a later action", "the act of looking forward especially: pleasurable expectation".

"We can never know about the days to come

But we think about them anyway

And I wonder if I'm really with you now

Or just chasing after some finer day." Carly Simon

Enjoying wildlife, viewing, photographing or just experiencing an encounter takes not only anticipation, patience and perseverance and lots of it! It takes learning about the animal, its habitat and its "habits". We have a new county residence, a female mountain goat. The locals call her, Sweeney because she lives on Sweeneys corners. Pretty exciting to have a mountain goat take residence so close to our homes. Yes, we live in the woods and have cougars, bears, elk, deer and more, but not a mountain goat.

Now to capture her on camera. The camera gets packed along most the time, of course she is only out the times I drive by without a camera. Perseverance, never give up, exhibit patience and anticipate the moment. So, she is spotted sunning herself in the afternoons! Still not when I seem to pack the camera, or she is laying down hidden way up high almost out of sight. Today is my day! Camera, not raining and time is on my side. Patiently waiting for the moment, she is out. I realized after an hour of watching her lay there sleeping, that the phrases, " lazy goat and stubborn old goat, that she was getting my goat. But, she graced me, stood up for 20 seconds before she hid behind the brush and then came back out for 30 seconds standing tall before she laid back down.

The mountain goat has a symbol of meaning, " In taking a leap of faith at the sign of a goat, one will achieve tremendous success, but the process will also show just how much intelligence you possess as an attribute." Goats are symbols of health, symbols of lust, and vitality in many cultures around the world. Some other representations of the goat spirit animal meaning also include peace, respect, and balance. They have been a creature of service but also possess a great intelligence and curiosity. Sweeney does exhibit these characteristics, while she lays on her rocky bluff, she observes the humans that stop and observe her. She seems to enjoy the attention and has a curiosity for people. I wonder if she anticipates humans to come and watch her?

"The idea of waiting for something makes it more exciting."

Andy Warhol