Fast forward through the day and I am riding towards Gillette, about 30 milles out, and it is starting to get dark. I hadn't realized that at dusk is when all the animals come out. I saw big herds of deer, skunks, rabbits and assorted other things that go bump in the night. To the east the almost full moon is starting to rise so I stop to watch it. For 20 minutes I sit there just soaking up the ambience. Here in the high desert the silence is almost deafening, the stars are brighter and more abundant, and it is quite easy to become one with nature. Across the road from me, a big buck comes up to the road, sees me and then stops. He backs up a little, melding into the darkness. I thought that he had left when I heard him snort loudly. This got me to thinking, was I in his way? between him and his doe? A couple of moments later he snorted again, louder this time and I decided that it was time for me to be moving on.