I saw a big fat squirrel sitting on the steel fence just outside my office window, licking rainwater off the top of the railing. It stayed there a good long time.

I keep a Nikon with a moderately long lens on my desk next to me for just such wildlife encounters as these. Critters like our backyard. But I had put stuff in front of the camera since the last time I used it, and couldn’t get the camera free before the squirrel scampered off.

Lately when I see something striking, it’s a struggle for me: Take the photo? Or just be in the moment and appreciate the thing I’m looking at?

That’s a false distinction though. Whatever you do, you’re in the moment. Knowing that can make the choice more clear. What do you want to be doing? Looking at the thing? Maybe the thing is an activity you could be participating in–do you want to do that? Or do you want to take the photo?

Whoah, I didn’t realize this was going to get philosophical. Bringing it back to the main point: I saw a squirrel up close.