Ode To #55

Thursday, July 22, 2021 — (Tomorrow July’s full moon [“Thunder”] will rise at its fullest.)

I was sitting in the garden and enjoying an evening beer when I noticed Tag #55 strolling onto the property. She began to browse at a lower elevation, and for awhile didn’t notice my presence.

She’s still traveling alone, that’s unusual. I mostly see does in small groups and often being tagged by youngsters. I think breeding season might be approaching and could have to do with her wandering alone.

What else about #55 that’s unusual is her coat color. Neither grayish nor reddish, she’s more a buckskin and without distinctive markings, aside from an almost unnoticeable ear tag.

More, too, she seems confident, not particularly afraid of my presence. I’m certain she’d leap away if I walked toward her, but I don’t. I stay put and talk to the deer, while trying not to seem aggressive with my camera.

Because she visits, my plants aren’t flowered. They were but that’s over, and no flowers anymore this season. I consider shooing her away, but don’t because she seems special.

It’s illegal to feed or tame deer although many folks do. In past years, I’d set out deer feeding blocks but had to quit that. My dogs became crazy-noisy on seeing several deer show up and hang around munching. The deer are smart and on finding a dependable food source remember and return to it.

I’ll be interested in getting to know #55 a little more. Even at the cost of beautiful plants. Next year, I’ll replant. By then and knowing better which plants are most vulnerable, I’ll choose those least attractive to wild deer. My garden might wind up populated with fewer flowers, more shrubs.

Deer also eat shrubs, but overall leave a less noticeable interference with terrain beauty.

Dear Friends: Enjoying wild creatures might be one way of keeping humans “in the moment”. Diana