while I am telling tales of my misspent youth...

when I was 21.... roughly a year after graduating from college I went cross country on my motorcycle
on this cross country motorcycle trip I zig and I zagged across the country
visiting friends and family in different states
dictating a route that appeared random to those not knowing about the places I stayed and the people I visited
the warm beds and the stocked fridges

while going cross country I passed through Yellowstone National Park
in this park I saw Old Faithful and lots of RVs
at one point I got off my motorcycle and hiked into the woods
once deeper into the woods I found a few lone Buffalo
I tried to follow them... but they moved quickly away

as I tried to follow them I got further into the woods but had no luck
they moved quickly away and out of view
I stalked blindly through the woods with my camera in hand
like a hunter I tried to move silently to get a good shot at the unsuspecting Buffalo
further into the woods way off trail I had no concern about being lost or the safety of my motorcycle or my gear
my focus was on the Buffalo

some time passed when I saw a man meditating on a rock ahead
before I could turn the other way to respect his solitude my foot cracked a twig at my feet
gently the man in front of me opened his eyes
with a nod he greeted me and welcomed me forward
we spoke and I told him where I was from, my ride cross country, and my immediate efforts to find the Buffalo
it was a pleasant exchange
as it turns out this man was a Native American Indian
a descendent of trackers
a tracker himself

he offered to help me find the buffalo and then lead me back to my motorcycle

this sounded wonderful
we walked a little further
the out of the woods and into a clearing
my tracker guide walked a few feet in front of me
he motioned for me to stop
then he silently crouched down to the ground
he then put his head to the ground and uttered these words... "oh.... Buffalo come."
with surprise I asked, "how do you know? can you hear their steps like an approaching train can be heard on the tracks?"
to that the indian tracker guide replied... "no... because ear stuck to ground."