Continuing with my promise to deliver images here that offer hope and break through despair and cynicism, today is all about animals.

Animal antics can amuse us, spellbind us, and move us. I hope you’ll enjoy these animals. May they lighten your spirit as you imagine what their next move may be.

I shared this first one with you last year, but it was the image for my August 2017 calendar. Though I’ve set aside August for one of my favorite months, I’m a little reluctant to put away this image. (My September calendar photo is a silhouette of a tree at sunset. It’s pretty but lacks the emotional appeal of this sheep.)

This next photo may not at first look like animals. My husband and I were driving past a meadow and saw what appeared to be sticks among the grass.

A meadow at Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park

But then the sticks began to move, and we realized they weren’t sticks but elk. (Way more exciting than sticks)

Land animals weren’t the only ones having fun that day. I love watching pelicans soar and swoop among waves. This one seemed to be enjoying sunset and a bit of solitude.

The pelican enthralled me long enough that I noticed spray coming up out of the water every two minutes or so. Excitement, glee, and delight followed when I realized a whale was enjoying a sunset cruise through the water.

I’ve never seen a whale before, and I felt like a small child again, giddy while I waited for the whale to skim to the surface and blow its spray again. The whale wasn’t a flashy one, showing off its body and tail, but I was thrilled anyway.

Perhaps it’s the animals we see the least often that have the most power to tap into our sense of wonder. This whale certainly did that for me.

What animal encounters have left you the most amazed?