The cubed potatoes were draining in the sink. They were to become potato salad as soon as they were cool enough to work with. As I glanced out the window over the sink, there appeared a small deer slowly crossing the side lawn heading straight toward the house...straight toward the window where I was standing. He did not look up at me but kept glancing around as if searching for something. Never have I seen a deer on this side of the house; always they come from the woods on the east side of the property.

He was this year's fawn, quite alone and he looked undernourished. Where was his mother, I wondered, and watched for her to emerge from the trees? She didn't come. Perhaps the fawn was looking for water. We've been experiencing drought conditions for close to six weeks now and everything is parched. The sporadic showers seem never to find my little corner of Virginia. He grazed on the dry grass as he ever so slowly wandered across the driveway and then up very close to the house. It looked as if he intended to climb right on up onto the front porch but instead he walked very close to the porch before drifting away and across the front lawn He walked to the split rail fence and stood there for a minute or two gazing at the pasture across the road, and I prayed that he would not attempt to cross the road. He didn't. The five o'clock traffic seemed not to phase him at all but it surely upset me. Finally, he followed the fence across the front lawn and disappeared into the woods on that side of the house.

This was my second encounter with deer within a week. I will need to check my Animal Speak book to determine the significance of two such closely timed visits. Ron and/or MariAnna probably can tell us.

Goodnight for now, and love to you all,