Otter by Lichened Stone Before Storm Oklahoma Spring

Golden morning light strikes a wet, dark otter crouched beside a massive stone draped in pale green and gray lichen. The animal's sleek fur glistens with fine water droplets from the recent sun shower. Above, heavy gray clouds press low against the early spring sky, while a single beam of sunlight illuminates the otter's alert face and the mossy texture of the rock. The glacial stream flows quietly beneath, its surface rippling with the faint impact of falling rain. Behind the stone, blurred reeds sway slightly in the damp air. The otter remains perfectly still, its dark eyes fixed on the water's edge where the sunlight breaks through the gloom. One raindrop hangs suspended on the tip of a nearby blade of grass.