Deer Encounter

It is a beautiful frosty morning here at Windy Acres.  The sun is coming up, warming the earth and melting the frost that has accumulated over night.  As usual, I took my morning cup of coffee out on the south porch to sit in the sun and enjoy the quiet of the morning.  I do this most mornings no matter what kind of weather, even if it is just for a minute or two.

Sally, our dog, is always eager to go out with me.  This morning while I was sitting there in the sun soaking up its warmth, I noticed her staring intently toward the garden.  So, I stood up to take a look myself.  There were 4 deer out beyond the garage near the compost pile.  They were apparently grazing on Tom's cover crop of Austrian winter peas, and Sally and I had interrupted their breakfast.

By the time I saw them, they were already alerted to our presence and were standing statue-still staring back at us.  I ran inside to get my camera and was able to capture some pictures of them.  I really need a better camera to get good pictures at a distance like this, but I was able to  get a few decent ones.  Here they are.

Notice how well this deer blends in with the background.

This is a youngster, probably a fawn born this spring.  Here it is getting ready to jump the fence.  You cannot see the fence very well, but it is where the tall grass is.  It is amazing how easily these deer appear to sail over obstacles, like this, with ease!

Across the fence is a gravel road.  This deer cleared the fence, crossed the road and is headed for a clump of cedar trees.  I think they use this grove of cedars for shelter because I've seen them enter/exit the grove many times.

Also notice how they hold their tail erect when they are alarmed.  The underside of the tail is bright white, giving them the name "White-tailed Deer".

Even though deer are plentiful around here, it is still a rare treat to see them during daylight hours and be able to observe their movements.  As for Sally, she issued a couple of minor barks and didn't bother to follow me out to the garden to take pictures.  It was a little chilly and I think she thought I was nuts for wanting to traipse around outside on a frosty morning in my house-shoes, when I could just as well be inside in the warm house.  Dogs are so practical!