Early Morning Visitors

Just out of the shower, towelled and turbanned I open the curtains with gusto to let the sunshine pour through! The sight I'd been waiting days for in the field - a family of Roe Deer!

I shot downstairs for the camera, grabbed a long lens and tentatively opened the bathroom window. Brilliant - it was such a marvellous sight. The noise from the camera unfortunately alerted them pretty quickly to my presence and they gambolled away.

Quickly ramming the card in the laptop to see what was what, I was so very cross with myself for not having sorted the date out on the camera the night before properly. I couldn't believe I had been so stupid!! Not giving up, grabbing the nearest dark warm clothes and with wet hair sneaked furtively over the fence as they hadn't gone far - all done at break-neck speed here!

They did see me coming and mum and dad easily leaped away with massive jumps, clearing the fencing but their two babies just weren't big enough to jump the brand new and very substantial wire fence, only put up last week after escapee cows scenario! The young deer trapped themselves in a small triangular area and only managed to get out by crawling under the fencing! Such a great experience it just had to be blipped!!

deer and... as it's National Poetry Day:
How to See Deer

Forget roadside crossings
Go nowhere with guns.
Go elsewhere your own way,

lonely and wanting. Or
stay and be early:
next to deep woods

inhabit old orchards.
All clearings promise.
Sunrise is good,

and fog before sun.
Expect nothing always;
find your luck slowly.

Wait out the windfall.
Take your good time
to learn to read ferns;

make like a turtle:
downhill toward slow water.
Instructed by heron,

drink the pure silence.
Be compassed by wind.
If you quiver like aspen

trust your quick nature:
let your ear teach you
which way to listen.

....be
careless of nothing. See
what you see.
by Philip Booth