excuse the focus

when i'm in a hurry i struggle with technology

so i couldn't get the camera on it.

porcupine was in the cedar,

i was working at the table.

out of the corner of my eye

i saw a dark gray earthbound flash in the morning light.

porcupine fell.

plop.

i turned and saw the landing, grabbed the camera, and ran to catch the action.

meanwhile

stunned porcupine paused and took stock of the situation.

i could see that the fall was small, six feet, perhaps seven.

still, porcupine paused,

moved carefully,

turned and

walked across to another of the cedar trunks.

and then up porcupine climbed,

quickly moving to a new place on a cedar branch

to browse.

(have i mentioned those marvelous climbing feet?)

on the omnipresent facebook i was advised

that porcupines do fall.

evidence is their healed broken bones.

when i was told this, i worried at first

but

this small one seemed only a little vexed

by the inconvenience of falling.

this is a lesson that

i want to learn.