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The Monarch And The Messenger By Tom Gross

By Tom Gross

The Monarch and the Messenger by Tom Gross

In the fall of 2005 I wanted to do a moose painting this had to include a Bull moose, and so on Oct 5th 2005, 3 days before Moose hunting season started, I was headed to the Superior National forest. About 60 miles up Highway 61 along the Northshore I drove about 25 miles inland from Lake Superior. I had scouted and area earlier that summer, which I found to be a Moose haven. It was a Tamarack and Spruce bog, with open meadows with stands of Black Spruce, Birch and a lot of Willow. I found a good size Birch where I could rest against and wait and if need be climb. It was before dawn, but light enough to see the beautiful heavily frosted grasses and trees. The setting was perfect. Some birds had begun to sing and it was calm. That is, it was until one of the messengers of the forest, a Red Squirrel began scolding me for my intrusion into his or her backyard. This little pest was above me in the branches of the very tree I was resting against. “Little Red”, as I call him now was relentless, alerting every self-respecting moose in the area of my presence. However, I continued to sit quietly and wait. Maybe 10 minutes had passed, and my tormentor little Red had gone elsewhere. I didn’t know where who knows, maybe he went to find my moose to come and throw me up into the tree and bust up my camera for good measure. All was quiet now, save for the chickadees and the call of a Raven.

I sat and gazed at the Tamaracks out in the bog, now glowing a golden yellow as a glimmer of the rising sun broke the clouds. I was jolted out of my reverie by a crashing of breaking branches and small trees. He had arrived. From behind some Black spruce a magnificent Bull Moose with an impressive set of antlers trotted out into the open, and stood about 100 feet from where I sat completely awestruck by the presence of the Monarch.

I did not raise my camera for several moments as the big bull did not notice me. I did not dare move. I waited as the king of the Forest began to browse on some willow branches. He had moved a little further away, which made me feel a less nervous. I now felt like I could take a few photos without being noticed. With my telephoto lens, I had taken 3 or 4 excellent shots when the moose turned away. I now sat transfixed, as the Monarch gazed at me, not showing any sign of aggression. After a moment he turned and once again began to browse. I felt a calmness wash over me, I believed that this great creature knew I was there, but he really wasn’t concerned with me.

As he moved among the willows and spruce breaking small branches I felt that the sound covered the clicking of my camera. I watched the big fellow gradually move over a hillside where he would disappear. A foolish thought of maybe trying to quietly follow I quickly dismissed. I had gotten much more than what I could possibly expect, and this gentle giant was to be respected.

I truly believe that this had been a divine appointment and I had trusted God to keep me safe.

To end the story, and this is where imagination and creative license comes in, if you recall earlier in the story that I was not sure where “Little Red” had made off to, maybe to bring the Monarch back?!! Well it just so happened that as that moose in his browsing had almost disappeared behind a stand of spruce, that he did take a long look back at me. As if that were not enough, I again heard the chattering of the Red Squirrel and I saw it scrambling in the branches of a Birch tree in very close proximity with the Monarch. Was it just another Red Squirrel? Or was it the “messenger”.

This was truly one of those unforgettable experiences, and I had all the inspiration I needed to paint “The Monarch and the Messenger”.

is available for sale as a framed original oil painting with a 18 x 24 image size and 23-1/2 x 29-1/2 outside the frame priced at $___ framed.

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