Five years ago we woke up to this breathtaking scene on our first full day of a family reunion at Shenandoah National Park in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. The day was full of pleasant surprises as I encountered fawns every time I turned around, and a few lovely does, and took many pictures. Following are a few of my favorites, which I dug out of my photo archives, because the memories of that wonderful day keep coming to mind at this time of year.
Little Thunder realized that the mother deer must not be too far off, because only rarely would a mother deer leave her young – and then only to get a drink of water or find a new place to hide her fawn.
~ Ted Ressler
(Whispers in the Forest: A Treasury of American Indian Tales)
These crystal clear shots are so vivid. You can just hear one fawn whisper to the other in the fifth deer photo down, “Maybe if we stand perfectly still she won’t notice us!”
Thank you, Laurie! Did you notice how close those two little fawns were to that pup tent? They weren’t tame but seemed comfortable with the endless parade of humans in their world.
I can see why a day like that would embed itself in your memory.
Sybil, curiosity led me to discover that you have two national parks in Nova Scotia – wondering if you have visited them and what sorts of wildlife can be found there…
Oh, Barbara, your fawns are beautiful. I am glad you shared them with us. My daughter and I saw a fawn this morning, just briefly, before it and its mother dove into the woods.
Thanks, Kathy. I can just imagine how wonderful it was for you and your daughter to share a deer moment together. After the long hard winter you had it must be a relief to know that at least one doe made it through, healthy enough to give birth to her fawn.
How precious, Barbara! Last time I saw a deer I was in the Pacific Northwest. It’s been a few years, so your photos are the next best thing! Hope you have a wonderful weekend!
Hugs from Ecuador,
Kathy
Thanks, Kathy, the deer you saw was probably a black-tailed deer, which I’ve never seen before, having never been to the west coast. (Some day I will see the Pacific Ocean, I hope!) Here on the east coast we have white-tailed deer. *hugs*
Barbara,
What a beautiful sweet memory to have float through your mind. And photos as proof! Very lovely sweet creatures.
Every so often we view each other on our walks, they peeking through brush and trees, or standing still sniffing the air to make sure it is safe to more. Yes even in suburbia!
They are quite at home in suburbia, aren’t they? My brother-in-law drives himself crazy trying to protect his garden from them. Once he even put strings around the perimeter with bells on them, and when he heard the bells ringing he would go outside and chase them away. Another time he planted bulbs down by the swamp in hopes that they would eat those instead of coming up to the garden. But he would never harm one. They are such sweet and gentle creatures.
Hi, Barbara! Just beautiful … thank you so much for reliving these cherished moments by sharing them. Oh, how precious life is! XO ♥
Thank you, Diane! Life is so precious – it’s these simple thrills that keep us coming back for more! *hugs*