Deer Deer

It's been a long time since I've been moved to write a WWG post. This morning's walk was truly moving.

Our little corner of Nashville, Bellevue, is a hodgepodge of retail stores, restaurants, churches, single family homes, condominium communities and apartment complexes, with wild places (rapidly shrinking) in between. The rabbit population is dense, so much so that Grace has now caught twelve in her first year here. This also means that coyotes prowl the neighborhoods at night. I have seen one coyote, and Grace has detected them on several occasions. When she does, she tells the whole world about it.

This morning we were walking one of our habitual routes, crossing the drainage ditch between Old Harding Pike and Wynbrook condominium community, when we saw what we initially thought were two greyhounds bounding through the landscaping. We stopped to watch, and were confronted with two deer headed for the woods. They stopped about thirty feet from us and returned our stares. Grace lunged to the end of her four foot leash, and one deer bounded away. The other stayed, continuing to stare. She took a couple of steps closer. We also stepped closer. She took another step in our direction, still staring. Grace lunged again, and the deer took off , following her friend into the woods. We were about twenty feet apart before she ran off. It was our closest encounter ever with a deer.

I did not want a dog. I knew that I would be the one doing the feeding and the walking. I was right, of course, but the walking has changed my life in many ways, many of them welcome. Damn it!