the dinner guests

standing out in the backyard tonight, watching the deer graze through the misty clouds of my breath in the cold air. it is such an awe-inspiring thing, watching the mother deer and her baby cautiously peek out from the woods, checking to see if the coast is clear, and then, after their brief, preliminary inspection, stepping lightly and silently through the leaves and into the open grassy area.

standing there while the deer look at me, almost seeming to peer into my soul — assessing the nature of that other living creature they sense across the yard — does it mean us harm? is this a safe place to eat?
fear not, my frail, short-tailed friends: i am with you, not against you. my backyard is your dining room, and you're welcome anytime. bring the whole family.

what was that?! "quick...into the cover of the thick woods. follow me!"

and just like that, they're gone, leaving me to wonder if they were ever there at all; spirits passing briefly through this world, on their way to the next.

i couldn't kill these animals for sport. i know that knocks me down a few notches on the manly meter, but i just couldn't do it. i don't see the point. skill? the odds are tipped very much on the side of the one holding the rifle, don't you think? i propose that a better test of skill would be to fasten a set of antlers to your head and then go toe-to-toe with a buck. that would be a true test of one's manliness.
nope. hunting's just not for me. i prefer to do all my shooting with a camera.

that's right, little fella. the worst thing that comes out of this black, formidable-looking piece of hardware is some beeping and clicking noises. and a memory or two of when you and your family would come over to dine with us.

ok. so i realize that i said that the great blue heron in flight was coming up next, but i saw the deer again tonight, and, well...
the great blue heron will be coming. soon. maybe not the next post, but soon.