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Beastly Morning
Jul. 20th, 2006 05:19 amHad the deer arrived fifteen minutes later, I'd have gotten a better look at them while they were still near. The thinning of the clouds had long since revealed a few stars and the crescent moon had risen high enough to dimly illuminate the driveway by the time I heard hooves clicking on the asphalt, but the light was still too dim to show more than vague gray shapes cautiously approaching the flower beds along the fence. Though I opened the front door as quietly as possible, one deer was startled and ran off.
Two others stood their ground, their eyes reflecting a shaft of light which escaped the door. I returned indoors and turned out the light in the living room, then made my way to the window from which I looked out to see the faint gray heads dipping down to crop the plants. The munched for a moment, then moved on to the yard next door. By then, the morning light was growing a bit, but it was the neighbor's automatic yard light which finally gave me a good look at the ungulates. Both of those nearby were does. There was probably a stag, but he was not in view. I heard hoof-beats farther up the block, but my view was screened by the dense summer growth of shrubs.
The deer didn't choose the best night to visit my yard. Had they come last night, they'd have been able to get a drink from the hose I was using to water the sourgrass. Some night, they will show up while the hose is running, and I'll get to watch them drink- assuming there's enough light by which to see them.
Though I've never been there, and am unlikely to ever go, it pleases me to know that the town of Portales, New Mexico has a theater called the Yam. It also pleased me to see that, according the the first page to which I linked, "The MainStreet members have also done beatification [sic] of the downtown area by planting trees and setting up lighting fixtures and benches on the sidewalks." Who knew that municipalities could approach a state of saintliness by such simple and economical means? Perhaps there is hope after all.
Two others stood their ground, their eyes reflecting a shaft of light which escaped the door. I returned indoors and turned out the light in the living room, then made my way to the window from which I looked out to see the faint gray heads dipping down to crop the plants. The munched for a moment, then moved on to the yard next door. By then, the morning light was growing a bit, but it was the neighbor's automatic yard light which finally gave me a good look at the ungulates. Both of those nearby were does. There was probably a stag, but he was not in view. I heard hoof-beats farther up the block, but my view was screened by the dense summer growth of shrubs.
The deer didn't choose the best night to visit my yard. Had they come last night, they'd have been able to get a drink from the hose I was using to water the sourgrass. Some night, they will show up while the hose is running, and I'll get to watch them drink- assuming there's enough light by which to see them.
Though I've never been there, and am unlikely to ever go, it pleases me to know that the town of Portales, New Mexico has a theater called the Yam. It also pleased me to see that, according the the first page to which I linked, "The MainStreet members have also done beatification [sic] of the downtown area by planting trees and setting up lighting fixtures and benches on the sidewalks." Who knew that municipalities could approach a state of saintliness by such simple and economical means? Perhaps there is hope after all.
