What to do when a large buck comes to the door? Say hello, of course.
Laying on the couch, fire dancing in the woodstove, a chill in the night air of late fall.
A clatter on the back deck picques my curiosity, but I’m too comfortable under my blankie to get up. The clatter ceases.
Some time later, the clatter again – louder. My imagination soars. A bear seeing fit to rearrange things on the deck? Wouldn’t be the first time one had come to visit.
I rise from my warm cocoon and flip a switch on the wall. The warm glow of a lamp in the loft casts a misty light across the deck.
There before me stands a most beautiful, majestic four-point buck. He stands at alert for a moment, then hooves make the familiar clatter as he makes his way into the security of the dark night.
We’ve seen him with a doe and fawn often, nesting by the pond at the edge of the woods just outside the front door. He’s looking for a warmer nest for the winter, and our deck, nestled inside the south-facing courtyard of our U-shaped home, provides warmth and protection.
I am pleased to see him again, and marvel that he’d feel safe enough to come right up to our home. Heart smiles.
Repeat performance
A couple of days later, repeat performance. This time in mid-afternoon. I am working upstairs in the loft when the clatter begins. I make my way down the stairs and come face to face with the buck through sliding glass doors.
Breathtakingly beautiful lines in his face, colours in his fur. A moment of peaceful gratitude in my day.
He’s in no hurry to leave. Meanders off, only after he’s investigated the scent of apples in the crate just outside the door.
I am thankful for the visit – a reminder to stop now and again and spend some time with inner silence.
THE CONVERSATION: Let's Talk About The Buck Stopped Here
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