the photograph not taken

We finally reached Bumthang as we came from the east through Assam, India. We were finally midway our cross-country photography expedition and were in the spiritual heartland of Bhutan. Thick forests covered the gorges and the roadsides. And furry yaks roamed freely. I had reached this place two years before. That time Joy and I came in through the usual route from the west. This year, I was with Keith and Garrie fulfilling a photographer's dream of covering the whole breadth of the Himalayan kingdom. And, we had a kind Bhutanese driver who would stop upon our request if we saw anything worth photographing. Yeshi would even help Keith set up his tripod as he did the panoramics. We already consumed dozens of rolls of film and gigabytes of digital storage -- enough to keep me busy for months developing the films and doing computer work processing the pictures.  That was the thought in my mind one morning as our SUV was cruising through a narrow road on a steep verdant mountainside. I was looking up at the sun playing through the trees when in a narrow clearing there suddenly appeared six or seven of those gentle behemoths spread on a side of a mountain calmly grazing. And just behind them was the morning sun giving each yak a celestial glow! It was a nat geo, postcard-perfect photo! My companions must have had their eyes glued on the road where many a mishaps have occurred. This was BNR territory (Bodies Not Recoverable as the ravine was too deep.) I did not ask Yeshi to stop. For a time after, I regretted not asking him but then I thought we already had enough travel photos. However, I now realize that it was best just captured with my mind so I could dwell on it on a day like today.