There is a small herd of antelope that trot across the ranch from time to time. There is one very big buck, the biggest antelope I’ve ever seen! and some does. Occasionally I get a good up close glimpse of them when I’m walking or driving on the dirt road. More often I see them from a little distance. Either way I always LOVE the site of animals that are wild and free. I got into the habit of looking for wild creatures during the times I lived in Colorado at TWR. Anytime I drove anywhere I kept my eyes peeled for any sign of an Elk, deer, bear or the elusive Moose! 
Mind you keeping my eyes open didn’t stop me from crashing my car into a deer on a very dark night! Yikes!
Anyway, I still look for wild things, though what I’m most likely to see out here are coyotes and snakes, (ugh) and the occasional antelope. Something I’ve noticed though is that while I get all excited when I see one, the lads aren’t all that impressed. In fact, they seem to get a bigger kick out of seeing the plodding, fat cows and calves that graze on this property than in seeing a fleeting flash of antelope hide. Hmmmmm….. I was thinking about this recently and started to realize that to them seeing cows and horses penned up behind feces is just as exciting as it is to me to see some wild, free animal.
The whole world is still such a wonder to them at this age. They don’t discriminate between wild and domestic animals. In fact, when we went to a Zoo recently they were more enamored with the spiders and snakes in a box than they were with a HUGE black bear scratching his back on a fence just feet from where we stood. I have to slow down now and then and learn to see the world through my children’s eyes. It’s all amazing!! Though I like spiders quite a bit less than anything, it’s good for me to see the wonder that they see because a spider is something they know. To be able to stand at a glass and stare at it for some time is something that thrills them. A bear may be more awe inspiring to me, but they have a way of looking at the mundane that makes me wish I could still be as thrilled over a silly spider. (not likely, ha!)
So that’s what I’m working on doing lately. See the amazing in the ordinary. My kids inspire me to notice that yes, a cow is an amazing creature. Really! And even though I know I’ll always get a thrill from spotting the wild ones, I can still be excited about the ordinary.
That’s one thing I love about living here – we see wildlife all the time! Just last month on our trip to Quebec we came within about 20 feet of a HUGE momma moose and her brand new baby who were crossing the road. Thankfully Matt saw them in time and we were able to stop and just watch them. The kids were pretty excited about that. But we see moose, bear, deer all the time and I never tire of it. Although I will agree with you that my kids get just as excited about the cows down the road as they do the black bear we saw on the way to Tim Horton’s to get a coffee! Good reminders!
Awesome thought! I love trying to see through my toddler’s eyes too. Amazing the things they notice! Makes you realize how much we miss as adults who have somehow forgotten how wonderful the simple or little things can be.