There isn't much snow left on the ground these past two days. Everything is a grayish brown color--the color of deer. This makes them almost impossible to see at times requiring me to be hyper-vigilant as a driver.
At this point in the year, we leave for school right as the light is shifting. Each day is getting just a nudge longer and we can tell because there is just a bit more light on our drive each morning.
Yesterday, we had made the near 30-minute drive to school and I dropped the kids across town from where I work. I don't see deer as frequently in town, but there are a few spots they tend to show up. I was heading up the hill when I saw movement ahead. As I began to slow down I realized it was a deer on the side of the road. It appeared to be waiting...looking. Then it was joined by several other deer who were screeching to a pause in their prance.
Are these deer looking both ways?
It appeared they were. I was almost to a stop when they all revved their legs back up, all seven of them, jumped across the road and down the hill toward the baseball field. I began to slowly accelerate as I watched them all follow each other into the wooded area that borders the field.
Where I live, not all deer are this vigilant and patient. Nor do they all stop at roadways to check for traffic. I'm pretty grateful this crew did.
I enjoyed reading this piece and how you noticed different behavior from the deer in your backyard.
ReplyDeleteI love your story of this moment in your commute. I can also greatly relate to deer and looking for them each day/night. My boys expect me to swing wide each night so that we can see if there are any bright eyes in the pasture. I have also often talked a deer back to the side of the road as I drove by. They are beautiful animals, but not in your headlight beams!
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