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I was driving home in the dark early Monday morning, having spent a
long weekend at the warehouse working on the computers we keep there.
From time to time on these drives, I'll see deer on the road. Most
are young, and if they are not facing the headlights, usually squeeze off to
the side, usually heading up slope.
As I rounded a corner on the winding wooded road following the steep valley, I saw a buck
traveling the road ahead of me. I slowed to a crawl. He picked up a little speed as I came
up, but not much.
He was handsome and he knew it, holding his head high, sporting his small rack in the air
as he pranced slowly ahead of me.
He was leading the parade and enjoying it, making use of my headlights to see where he
was going. The headlights of the Gods were upon him, and he wanted to strut his stuff!
I got to see the a bit of his gray-brown sides in the headlights as we rounded a few
corners. Yes, handsome and young, not quite into his prime yet; but certainly practicing for
the day.
We slowly paraded down the road, rounded a few curves before he thought the better of it.
He spied a good path off the downhill side, slowed a bit, as did I, pulled off to the side of
the lane, slowly ducked his head under some branches and was gone.
I stopped for a moment, closed my eyes, and smiled ear to ear.
He was one handsome buck. Just remembering him makes me smile from ear to ear. I wanted
to pull over and clap at his performance; sad he would not understand. May he live a long and
productive life!
-JVV-
Copyright (C) 2006, JVV
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