It’s been in the 80’s almost 90 this week. It seems like every day we’re breaking temperature records. Last night I had to open all of my windows, which means that I woken at the crack of dawn by all the birds. I didn’t mind over much. Now, I’m sitting at my desk in front of the window looking out at a lovely, sunny day and couple of bunnies chasing each other around the parking lot.
Last night I took my camera to Powder to try to photograph the pileated woodpecker. No such luck, but I did get some photos of new leaves and dogwoods and deer. The deer were especially intriguing. Normally when you walk toward them, either they’ll ignore you, or run away. These three young deer, though, not only didn’t run away, but one kept walking toward me.
I didn’t know what to make of it — the deer are not encouraged to approach people at Powder, which is a natural conservancy, not a petting park. Yet the young buck last night would have come up to me, I think, if I had let it. I wouldn’t, I don’t encourage human contact with wild animals. I backed away, which is the first time for me to be the one to move away from a human-deer encounter. I imagine the deer thinks of itself as studly now–chasing away the monster.