It was a foggy, wet, and gloomy morning last week, when five deer came by to spend the day. Their visits aren’t unusual. This time, I was working at the computer upstairs when I noticed them standing, rather oddly, staring back into the trees. Two, at first, then a third, and a fourth, and a fifth. They were all standing fairly motionless and seemed to be looking in the same direction. Soon afterwards, they began wandering, as I’d expect, nibbling on whatever food morsels they find on a cold, not-quite-frozen morning. Not much later, I saw one, and then another, bend and lower its front legs, and bring itself to a resting position on wet leaves in the back part of the yard. I’ve seen them do this on hot summer afternoons too, in the ivy, in the same area, but the shady bed of soft, cool ivy on a muggy July afternoon seems more appealing than the soaked cushion of wet, leathery oak leaves on a cold December morning.
They spent much of the day in the yard as I moved downstairs to work in the kitchen, and they were close enough, it would seem, to be aware of me through the nearby windows. They nibbled on what they could find, they chased each other, and they rested, not far away, as I busied myself with a new recipe.
Deer shouldn’t be so comfortable around people, but the unfortunate reality is humans continually reduce the availability of larger wooded areas, while deer need to scavenge for nourishment. They still move with the agility and strength of the wild, and yet their appearance is gentle and unthreatening, and their nearby presence brings something like a mutual recognition. It’s probably not the way it should be, nevertheless, one can do worse on a cold, wet, December day than to look out and enjoy the company of five deer nearby.
© Etikser. All Rights Reserved.
All photos and images here are my own.
They may not be used elsewhere or reblogged.
Please visit my other blog, Clover & Ivy, https://cloverandivy.wordpress.com.
I post mostly nature photos there.
etikser 
You have wonderful friends! 👍🏻❤️
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Yep! I like them. That’s the way it felt.
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That’s cool! Wishing you a blessed Christmas! ☺️
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Thank you. All the best to you.
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Beautiful. And so true about the shrinking habitat for animals.
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Thank you. And yes, they adapt, as they need to adapt, but it shouldn’t be so.
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These stories are irreplaceable for those of us who live in big cities, surrounded by cement, traffic, noise and pollution.
And the images of these critters, a joy for our souls.
Thank you so much for sharing.
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Thank you so much! I have to admit seeing these critters brings a joy to my soul too. It lifted my spirit that day.
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Yes, I often feel the push-pull of being both happy and sad to be close to wildlife. Still, that’s the situation and I’m glad they were comfortable hanging out with you all day.
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Thanks for your comment. That’s the way I feel. I’m grateful for the opportunity, but I wish humans did a better job of leaving wooded areas intact.
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Basically, I wish humans did a better job at most everything.
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I wish they did a better job of holding onto winter’s woods.
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Oh this is full of joy. Also, I didn’t know that cloverandivy is also your blog. That’s awesome!!
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Yes, I’m cloverandivy. Thanks so much.
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What a blessing to see the deer, but I can understand how that really isn’t the way it should be. We live near a nature center where deer live protected but in the wild. They sometimes wander into my yard, and I, too, enjoy watching them from the upstairs window where I write. Even my cat enjoys watching them.
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Thanks for your comment. I looked up from my computer that day, and there they were, and yes, they are a joy to behold.
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