A Mystery of Nature

My parents found this lovely creature in their back yard at the end of December. She was resting and eating bird food, and as you can see, her ankle is very swollen. That seemed to have been her only malady (could she have slipped on the ice?) but of course it made walking difficult for her.

My parents called Animal Control, only to be told they didn't "do anything for deer." Poor deer. Before my parents could do much more research, the pretty doe got gingerly to her feet and limped out of their yard. They assume she returned to the woods at the end of the block.

That same night, while we were driving around and looking at Christmas lights in our own suburban neighborhood, a buck burst out of someone's yard and trotted next to our car. It was a beautiful sight: a steady snowfall, a proud buck with spreading antlers, and a silent street. It happened to be my birthday, December 30, and I saw him as a wonderful ambassador into the New Year. He crossed right in front of our car and then stood in the opposite parkway, looking at us. We looked at him, too, blessed by the silent moment in the December snow.

He was still standing there as we drove away.