July 3, 2008 - A Very Small Beggar

Canon 5D, 24 - 105 mm f/4L IS @ 105 mm, f/8, 1/40 sec., ISO 200, polarizer

All this little guy needed was a little tin cup and he would have been at home on any street corner in the country. He reminded me a lot of the human version that you'd run into from time to time on the Las Vegas strip. There was one in particular that I'll never forget, a guy who could usually be found on the pedestrian bridge between New York - New York and MGM Grand. This guy was unique because his little sign was more honest than most. He didn't ask for money for food or shelter as most did. Rather, his sign said that he needed money to buy beer! Hey, most of us can identify with that, right?

But small animals begging for food in Rocky Mountain NP? Had I had any to offer, I think this creature would have taken it right out of my hand. He posed for quite some time, until he finally figured out that no free meals were forthcoming. As with the elk, the interaction with humans can only cause problems. We sure as heck aren't doing them any favors. Come to think of it, we probably aren't doing the guy in Las Vegas any favors, either.