Don’t look, but I’m being stalked by a deer! Earlier this summer I introduced you to Fawnzie, my carefree and impulsive, daredevil neighbor. Since that time, periodically throughout the summer Fawnzie could be seen playing with reckless abandon in our yard, walking up the middle of our street in broad daylight without a care in the world, or daydreaming in a sunny spot in the neighbor’s yard, all while her sibling and Momma Doe watch in dismay from a safe distance.
Now that Fawnzie is older, like all know-it-all adolescents she is branching out on her own. She chose a safe and comfortable spot to call home in a pocket of woods between the neighbors’ houses, near a stream, across from our woods. Although still not subtle, I thought our wild deer was maturing and finally settling down. Nope, not yet. Fawnzie’s mischievousness continues, and she is directing her attention at me!
Recently while on neighborhood patrol Fawnzie was seen standing a few yards ahead of us on the side of the road. Upon being noticed, she darted into the woods, like most deer would do in that situation. I assumed her instincts had kicked in, and she was hiding from me, a fierce predator. However, I was sadly mistaken.
Fawnzie crept through the woods, and reappeared behind us in the road! I’m ashamed to admit it, but it was Asa who noticed that she was creeping along behind us, much closer than when we originally spotted her! In fact, if Asa hadn’t kept looking over his shoulder to wag his tail at her, thus bringing it to my attention, she may have been bold enough to get directly behind us! I couldn’t believe my eyes! Fawnzie was brazenly following ME down the road!
I immediately spun around to confront her. Sorry Dad for almost knocking you over, but it had to be done. We watched as Fawnzie playfully skipped back into the woods again. Problem solved, right? Wrong! We continued on our walk on high alert, waiting for her to jump out at any moment. However, as my patrol shift ended, I let my guard down as I returned to my yard.
Yet as I picked up my squeaky ball for a game of fetch, who do I see standing in MY yard watching me? Fawnzie! There she stood just beyond my fence, with eyes locked on me! Once again Asa was no help by happily wagging his tail. And would you believe Mom and Dad ushered me inside before I could tell that nosey neighbor what I really thought of her actions!
Since that day, Fawnzie has been spotted stalking me a few more times. Sometimes it begins with her watching me from MY yard. Other times she is in the woods by the road. And yes, on occasion she boldly stands in the road looking at me and snorts! Asa insists she probably just wants us to be friends. It’s probably lonely for her to be a deer alone in the big woods, away from her Momma. I, on the other paw, believe that she is doing her own neighborhood patrol, but with nefarious intentions. But who could she be working for, the squirrels?
Whatever Fawnzie’s intentions are, with hunting season here, I hope she’s safe. Because she does add a bit of excitement to neighborhood patrol.
