I'm sure there have been many. Even though I carry a camera in my car and have a phone as well, sometimes it's impossible to pull over and stop the car. Or sometimes the photo op is so fleeting there's no time to capture it. Yours sounds spectacular, Nickel!

A lot probably..but one that I still see in my mind. When I lived in MI I had

large flower beds in my backyard... with all kinds of species in their own

places with decorative pieces, etc. The house backed up to a large wooded

area. The Master Bedroom had windows

that over looked that area. In the middle of the night we heard strange

noises. My DH got up and then whispered to me to look...looking in one

of the windows was a large Buck...and his two "ladies" were happily

munching on my Monarda beds. Two dark for pictures and didn't even

think of it anyway. :) He knocked on the window and away they went. The next day, not only was the Monarda munched

heavily...two of my very large Yucca plants were about 2 inches tall. :)

Irritated me, but those Deer were so beautiful, I didn't have the heart to

hold a grudge. :) I guess they were telling me that it served me right for

planting them in "their area".

Oh no, your poor garden! I can imagine that scene perfectly!

Yes.....butt shots! They were turned around. ☺

I'm the butt shot queen! hahaha

lol nicole, too bad about the pic, but the laughter is priceless!

Yes Rob, that most certainly counts. Sometimes the mental pictures embedded in our minds are more meaningful that those captured on film or pixels.

nickel, your missed photos sound wonderful. I must have plenty in my mind. Rob’s reminds me of many of my DD’s high school days when she was in band and played varsity softball. Yes I have a few, but it wasn’t like today’s click every few minutes with a cellphone shots. Your band description reminds me of DD’s trip to a marching competition at Legion Field (which back in the day was where Alabama played many of their football games) and which the band won that day. Their HS band was primarily a well-known concert band, winning many competitions, and when they marched, they were almost 300 members. That particular performance was shockingly good. DD was in drumline, and when they were marching off the field, one of the bass drummers, a good friend of hers, leaned over the side of his drum and hurled to the side of the field as they marched down the sideline. It seemed everyone saw it and gasped. Thank goodness the competition was over and that didn’t count and he marched on as if nothing happened. Turned out we did see it again as someone had their performance on video. It took a while for that kid to live that one down.

Oh no, OutsidePlaying -- that's one photo too many, poor kid!

Oh I'm sure there are many ...

One that sticks out was driving through Colorado and the windy road snaked down into a valley, mountains around and at the bottom was an old dilapidated barn and a windmill...it looked like the perfect shot, but alas, no place on the highway to pull off, cars coming and no shoulder.

Another was so fast and unexpected, there was no time, though I wish I could've captured it. My tuxedo kitty, Mila, was sitting next to me and I was eating a banana, so I put it to her to sniff, and when she did, she actually pulled back and scrunched her face up like it was the most horrifying thing ever. Now kitties faces don't scrunch well, but hers sure did! That's what made her expression so priceless.

Another one I remember...was at the old house with my old cat Casimir. We were weeding in the garden and he saw a turkey and started stalking her. He sneaks closer and closer and finally takes off and wallops the unsuspecting turkey in the butt. The turkey takes off at a full run with the cat after her. As she's running, the turkey cranes her neck to see what's chasing her, and that's the expression I wished i could capture. She saw it was just some pipsqueak cat, did a quick U-turn and starts chasing the cat across the lawn. The 2nd shot I wished I got was the cat, realizing he was going from predator to prey, leapt in the air doing a 180 and took off for the bushes by the house. Of course bushes don't stop turkey so I had to take off at a run to rescue the cat from the turkey. I laughed my fool head off on that one. So wish I could've captured it!

nicole, butt shots I've a plenty!! In fact, in one of my vacation albums, I devoted a whole page to it...

Annie, great stories, great missed pictures!

Mine is more like rob's...an ingrained memory, rather than a scene I missed photographing. It was the last weekend of August, before I would start High School. I was at my best friend's house, sitting with her on a glider swing, in her backyard. We were chatting about being a bit anxious to start high school, as we'd be attending 2 different schools, and it was sad knowing we wouldn't share the same memories anymore, as we had in elementary school.

As we sat talking, dusk came, and soon it was dark, other than the moonlight. We could hear the faint sound of the song 'Mrs. Robinson' coming from the open window of her sister's bedroom. Suddenly several fireflies appeared and flitted over to us. They danced in the air within reach, and one landed on my friend's lap and stayed for a minute. We'd seen fireflies while camping before, but never in the city. They seemed to dart to the swells of the music, and just as suddenly left, when 'Mrs. Robinson' ended, as though they'd only come to hear the song.

I said to my friend "Let's remember this moment forever. This last night of the summer holidays, sitting on your backyard swing, talking about starting high school, with these fireflies around us and listening to Simon and Garfunkel. We're both almost 14, so let's see how long we'll be able to remember everything." (I clearly had confidence that we'd still be friends, over the years.)

We've both just turned 65, so that memory is from 51 years ago. My friend and I haven't lived in the same city since I moved away after college, for a job. But one of us contacts the other every so often. And both of us can still describe that evening in vivid detail, even though we couldn't tell you what we had for lunch yesterday, lol.

A vivid scene, amicus ... one so many of us can relate to. "And here's to you, Mrs Robinson, heaven holds a place for those who pray, hey hey hey..."

This is a beautiful thread. My thought is I may not "know" you but I know you are generous dear open people. I enjoyed your heartfelt detailed descriptions. Rob, anything school brings tears to my eyes. I don't know why- I am a retired teacher who got teary at all the school performances that my own kids and my students participated in. I have moved on to grandkids now. Your band performance blew me away.

These were taken last year, so glad I got them! Those were .storm clouds.

Thanks for the clip, Rob. I went to a high school with a championship marching band. How rousing the crowd was at every game with all their shows and music. Fond memories.