Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Had an interesting encounter yesterday while running the mountain with my dog, Sadie.  Just as we were rounding the last corner before heading back towards the parking lot, I noticed a mother, father and little girl stopped, looking at something that was between us, but hidden from my view due to heavy vegetation.  Slowing, I peered through a small clearing just as a mother deer and her fawn were coming into view.  The mother looked over at the young family.  Turning away from them, she then looked at Sadie and me.

 

Sadie eyed the mother deer, which stared back.  The fawn, looked between its mother and Sadie, probably wondering if it was going to become an appetizer for my dog.  Sadie, never having seen a deer up close before, cocked her head.  She sniffed the air and perched her ears forward.  Meanwhile, the mother deer decided we were okay and began heading towards us.

What?

I was sure she’d turn away any moment, but, no, the mother deer kept approaching, her fawn right behind her.  I couldn’t believe how close they got.  First they were fifty feet away, then thirty, twenty, ten and by the end, I could have reached out and touched the mother.

What was Sadie doing during all of this?  Being a perfectly charming dog with impeccable manners, allowing the mother to approach with her fawn, not displaying the least bit of aggression. 

I wanted desperately to reach to the back of my waist pack to fetch my phone so I could snap a photo or take video of the event.  But I feared that if I moved, I might startle the mother deer, causing the spell to be broken and for her to bolt, her fawn in close pursuit. 

After several minutes of Sadie and me standing in awe, the mother deer leisurely turned to head away from us.  Figuring she was heading off to a more private area, I let her get a head start not wanting to bother her.  When she’d gone back into the secluded clearing she’d originally emerged from, I began walking slowly with Sadie.  And that’s when I noticed it.

The mother deer changed direction and again headed towards us.  I figured this might pose a problem, the mother deer continuing to follow us, as I was headed towards the parking lot.  Fearful that I’d lead the mother and her fawn into danger, I again stopped with Sadie.  For the next minute or so, there seemed to be a stand off of sorts as the mother deer, also having stopped, tried to decide if she should continue approaching us.

Eventually, she opted against that idea and, lowering her head, began grazing on some dry grass, her fawn following her example.  I took that opportunity to begin jogging towards the parking lot with Sadie, looking over my shoulder to ensure that the mother deer wasn’t following me.  She wasn’t. 

Appreciative of our encounter, I continued jogging the rest of the way home, Sadie at my side, both of us seeming fulfilled in a way that only such an intimate encounter with nature can evoke.