Oh Deer

I'm in full ice cream mode. Every year, about this time, I go into what I call ice cream mode. It becomes an obsession for me. Every night I come home and think about going out for ice cream. So after an incredibly frustrating day yesterday and a somewhat healthy salad dinner, I asked Jeff if we could go to Dairy Queen. Having one within walking distance is dangerous and wonderful at the same time. 

Jeff agreed that we could go if we took the long way. He wanted a bit of a walk. So we hiked along the creek near my house until we ran into a road that we couldn't go under. We then followed a park until we hit an open field. I was starting to feel more relaxed. Work has been crazy. Then we saw the five deer in the field. Two adults and three babies. They were wary of us but didn't run. So we crept a little closer. I learned that if you drop down into a crouch or crawl on hands and knees they pay you no mind. It was true. The moment we stood up they were alert and wary. When we dropped down they instantly went back to eating as if we weren't there. 

We crept along the tree line until we were only about 20 feet from them. Then I sat down and watched them for a long time. The mosquitos were bad and we had to keep brushing them away but the views were spectacular. I was frustrated that I didn't bring a camera. We would have been able to get some great shots without the zoom. Finally ice cream cravings got the best of us and we moved on. But as we left I realized that all that stress I had been holding all day was gone.  I apparently left it out there in that field. The french silk pie blizzard was wonderful but it was the deer that had made my night. I need to spend more time hiking. It soothes the soul.