Visit From Bambi



Vermont Wildlife At Our Front Door

I was lucky to grow up in a way few people do these days.  As urban and suburban sprawl continue to cover more and more of America in concrete or shopping plazas, northern Vermont has remained the same.  And when I say northern, I mean as close to Canada as you can possibly get.  A classmate of mine used to play tag with his cousins in his backyard.  Running into the woods behind his house meant crossing into Canada, which was considered "safety" in the game.

Plenty parts of Vermont remain in the 20th century.  My home was no exception.  My mom's VHS collection is extensive.  Cell phone reception, along with the nearest pharmacy, grocery store and hospital, is a 20 minute drive away from home.  And while making that drive, you're likely to be surprised by how much play-time Nelly's hit songs from 1999 still get on the only "top 40" radio station.

And sure...this all means that I graduated high school in 2007 with a dial up connection so slow that I had never been able to load a full 3 minute music video off youtube at my home before.  But it also meant that on quiet mornings, I was able to look out my front door and see a sight like the one pictured above.  Bambi had wandered into my front yard, and my mom was able to capture the moment.

Besides, the last four years as a student with high speed internet have given me oodles of time to watch all the music (or cat) videos I want.  Turns out I wasn't missing out on much after all.

My mom, Rosalie, has always been infatuated with photography.  She loves to tell the story of when she left home for the first time as a teenager and returned from girl scout camp with hundreds of dollars worth of film to develop.  Her parents were less than pleased, but the habit was just beginning then.  During any family event or outing, my mom is frantically snapping shots.  Several years ago, my siblings and I began referring to her as Papparazzi.

Each of us have had moments of frustration, when our mom has snuck up on us to take a "precious" photo of us sans makeup, wearing pajamas and eating spaghetti on the couch.  She saw it as documenting a candid moment. As teenagers, we saw it as documenting a blemish we didn't want remembered.

None of us can deny that she has real talent though.  And as each of her kids has grown up and out, she has turned to photographing nature, landscapes, and animals that don't mind being caught off guard with a quick flash.

Each photo I post has been taken by her, and each photo ties me back to a place or person.  These photos, taken through mama's lens, tie into one of my memories.  In writing this, I hope to share those memories, and more importantly, spotlight the incredible work my mom has created.