splendor in my backyard

...and me without my camera!!

i looked up from my chair yesterday to see a beautiful young buck stepping out of the woods into our yard! it delicately made it's way until it was standing, fully exposed, smelling around our birdfeeder...breathtakingly beautiful. and after the first click of my camera, the battery d-i-e-d. *sigh* it was like he came and posed in the sun, ready for his close up, and there was me, with a dead camera. i did get one shot, though not the best one.

he was in no hurry to leave, so i watched for a moment...awed at the grace and peacefulness he embodied...when he was joined by 2 more bucks! this is very unusual, to see boys together. we mostly get groups of girls. one of the new bucks was just a "spike" - a little finger of antler sticking out above each ear, but one was huge - the biggest i've seen in nature, with a full rack and broad shoulders...a stunning creature to have wander through my suburban landscape.

those of you who know me well know how i feel about seeing something like that. to quote an old story, "the father of Jesus is very fond of me."