I’ve seen two different families of deer on my drive in California. The first family is a doe and a single fawn. They frequent my mother’s house. If I hear a cracking (dead) branch early in the morning it’s usually the fawn nibbling on dry grass or searching for a low hanging plum. The mother is a little more shy.
I saw the other family, a doe and two fawns, a mile down the road earlier in the week. The first encounter was at night and I was expecting them. One of the fawns was standing in the road with the classic look. I honked the horn a couple of times, but there was no reaction so I inched forward in the hope of startling it. No dice. I honked and inched forward again, but still no reaction. I was about to unroll the window to shout, but then the mother leaped into action and nudged Baby #1 out of the way. She paused for a moment and Baby #2 bounded by. Finally all three got off the road. Baby #1 needs some serious street smarts or s/he isn’t going to last very long.
This afternoon I’ve been enjoying their company, all of them. They’ve been having a picnic in the neighbor’s yard. Of what, I’m not sure. The ground looks pretty clear. One of the fawns just got nipped by one of the mamas. Baby #1 perhaps?
