He is now joined by his friend.
Late in the day close to 5:00 I stop my activities or reading and go to the front door as if on autopilot. If someone were watching me, they would think I had been called by someone outside although they would hear nothing.
I open the door quietly, and just as I expected, there he stands at the end of the drive-way in all his male glory. The four points of his antlers are now tall and majestic. His coat is the golden brown of early fall, and sometimes if he is not in the late afternoon sun, he ghosts like a summer shadow against the trees.
Each time I have seen him he wanders closer to the house. I go down the flagstone steps and begin talking to him about my plants and how I don't want him to get too friendly, too comfortable in my front yard. He looks at me gently and wisely with his brown eyes. He does not move and stands tall and comfortable in his maleness. I keep walking steadily toward him and continue my careful explanation of my love of my garden and how hard an I am working to get it established.
He stands statue still and does not move until I am within a few yards. As if he has heard enough of this one-sided conversation, he quickly turns and with a flash of his white tail gallops back into the pine trees and crosses down into the ravine.
I know he is not afraid of me, because like the setting sun, he is back in my driveway at the end of each day grazing the grass at the side of the road. Once this week I saw him with his two does and a growing fawn.
It is like a courtship, this dance with the prince of the forest. I cannot help but be seduced by his beauty and confidence and yet I know that if I give in I will regret it.
Tabor, A beautiful post. You bring back memories this early morning.
ReplyDeleteI have experienced something similar at my country home. Each Spring there were twins grazing in my wheat field. Each day they and their mother would get closer and closer to the house.
I have had similar encounters with deer in my area, but we have smaller deer - but they have large appetites!
ReplyDeleteI have read back in your blog and I have four Amaryllis bulbs that I have tried (2 of them actually) to bring into bloom again - the leaves are great, but no flowers. They are, at present, lying on their sides in the greenhouse. Help! What is the secret?
I enjoy your photos, and if the cardinal drives you crazy, send him to me! We live on Vancouver Island, and we do not have the cardinal or the eastern bluejay. We do have the Steller's Jay - just as bold and noisy, but not quite as beautiful.
good luck with their menu! it is so exciting to see them no matter what they eat though my hubby gets irritated sometimes.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful!! I like your "routine"!
ReplyDeleteI am so glad you stopped back by! Yes, Sierra will grow...it is just so painful right now. I am posting more and would love for you to come by again!
Your writing is beautiful Tabor. I too love to see the deer up close, but thankfully, they stick to the woods and fields and stay away from our yard for the most part. Although they did eat the little apple trees my husband planted. Your buck is a real beauty. It's hard to keep your distance and not try to make friends, isn't it?
ReplyDeleteFunny...I was thinking of you this morning, and how I hadn't visited you in a while, and when I checked my inbox, there was your comment! Thanks for stopping by :)