A deer visit

Early this evening, as I watched two mule deer does grazing on grass and bushes across the street in a neighbor's front yard, I started feeling a little sorry for myself: Why didn't they visit MY yard?

And then they did. First one, then the second. And then a third came out from behind a spruce tree, crossed the street, and wandered up to my house - right in front (a foot or so away) from my front-door window - and browsed on an overgrown shrub next to my doorway. It was cool!

Then, from across the street, came deer Number Four. It was late because it only walked on three feet. Her left front hoof never touched the ground as it sort of hopped across the asphalt and reached my lawn. The other deer obviously accepted her as one of their own, but they roamed around her, ignoring her handicap. She also munched on grass grown long from recent rain, and on urban bushes flourishing as June approached, but then the other three deer started wandering off, back across the street, disappearing behind that same spruce.

The lame deer looked around, didn't see her friends, and also finally hobbled back across the street. I watched her go.