There have been three deer hanging around the village here recently … I think it is a doe and two youngsters. I see them often in the field across the road, or IN the road early in the morning, and occasionally in my yard. This afternoon I happened to be walking past the front door (door open but storm door closed on this beautiful almost-spring day) and was just in time to see this unusual encounter.
My black cat, Buzzy, was sitting on his favorite big rock out by the frozen pond and surveying his kingdom. Just then the three deer came out of the woods, face to face with him. It was at this point that I grabbed my camera and started shooting through the storm door glass.
I have no idea what the cat was thinking, but he went into the stalking mode he normally reserves for chippies. The tail fluffed out and looked like a big bottle brush. He started creeping toward the deer, whose white tail shot straight up in what I can only assume was alarm!
As Buzzy got closer to the deer, it raised a front leg. At this point I was afraid the cat was in danger of being stomped if the deer sensed a threat (although the deer definitely had the advantage in size!), so I stepped out onto the front porch. The noise sent all three deer into the woods, just far enough to where they thought I couldn’t see them. I called to Buzzy and he came running as fast as he could and disappeared into the house. Minutes later the deer reappeared and crossed the property and road into the woods on the other side.
I guess I can now sleep soundly at night, knowing that Buzzy will bravely (if stupidly) keep Blackbird Farm free of wild critters. He has obviously forgotten the incident with the skunk from a couple years ago…
What the heck was that???
[ stories from a small village ] 