This morning, I went out to get the paper and saw the deer I call Andy (not the fawn above) in the ravine next to my house, so I got my camera. I’ve been wanting to take a picture of this guy who has destroyed every shred of color in my yard, but he eluded me once again. By the time I got outside with my camera, a doe and her two fawns had taken his place, so I caught this adorable baby who was frolicking in the woods. Then all of a sudden, a stag appeared wearing a magnificent rack of antlers. I raised my camera and he looked straight at me and let out this blood curdling hissing sound! I took off at a run–well a really fast rheumatoid hobble–so the picture below is all I got of the stag. 🙂

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
But let me tell you about Andy. I believe he’s really a doe, but I started out calling him a he, and now can’t make the shift. I named him Andy after a character in my just-completed novel, BEFORE THE STORM, because like the boy in the book, this deer is a little. . . different. First of all, he’s a loner. All the other deer travel together, but this fella is either an outcast or an independent spirit. He has eaten every flower in my yard. Even the ones deer are supposed to hate. Even all the beautiful flowering lily pads in my little pond. We’ve found him peering in our windows on two occasions. I assume he’s looking at his reflection, but it’s odd to walk into the living room and find a deer peering in at you!
Well, I was pretty angry with this deer. While at the beach, I told my kind-hearted stepdaughter, Caitlin, about Andy. She gently suggested that Andy may be the reincarnation of my beloved, three-legged Bernese Mountain Dog, Bruin, who was, shall we say, odd. He was also very attached to me and wanted to be close to me at all times. I don’t think I believe in reincarnation, but I admit this idea has softened my heart toward Andy.
 Although Andy is always around, nibbling in my yard night and day and looking in my windows, I’ve been unable to get a picture of him. I took one a few days ago, but when I looked for it on my disk, the picture was completely blank! This is one spooky deer. I welcome your thoughts from those of you more sophisticated about deer than I am.