I’m an avid road-bike rider, but I don’t deal with the heat as well as I did 20 years ago. This time of year, when the sun’s rays are intense by 8:30 AM here in Texas, I ride at first light if I’m going to ride at all.

If I’m open to them, the unexpected rewards on these early rides are endless — and a great reason for getting out of bed so early. Usually these rewards come as wildlife like

• Whitetail or Axis bucks, does, and their fawns
• birds of prey, mostly hawks
• the rare glimpse of a red or silver fox crossing a field
• a flock of wild turkeys
• exotic (not indigenous) species like Blackbuck (an antelope from India, Nepal, and Pakistan) on game-managed ranches

I have even cruised up on sizable rattlesnakes and water moccasins sunning themselves on the road.

7:00 AM, 80ºF, 10 miles out

This morning I spotted a large White Fallow buck standing at the edge of forest with the pending sunrise as a backdrop. The buck and his  family are “pets” on a ranch I pass frequently, though I only see them occasionally. I understand the White Fallow is a large deer from the UK. The antlers are palmate (with a broad central portion) like those of a moose. It is very cool to see.

If you click on the smart phone snapshot I took so it expands to full size, you might be able to spot him right in the center of the photo. If you want to see what a White Fallow buck looks like up close, here are some pictures.

When will smart phones get zoom lenses?

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