At twilight a doe emerged from the woods to sample the weeds at the far end of the yard. She made her way along the back of the clearing, nibbling at the undergrowth where I stop mowing.

When she reached the corner, she moved down the side of the property, craning her neck to reach some leaves on the tall bushes there. I could see her pulling the leaves free and the rotary action of her chewing as she raised her head every few moments to look towards the house.

To me, deer always seem to lift and place their feet with exaggerated care, daintily almost. Their legs appear delicate compared to their bodies, their heads tiny. On the whole, though, they look bigger in reality then in photographs.

After finishing with the bushes she headed back across the center of the yard, pausing to trim around a large stone where I'd neglected to pull the weeds. Finally she vanished behind the lilac beside the shed.

Despite being practically out in the woods, we rarely see deer near the house. With all the fields and forest available, our little clearing probably is not particularly attractive.

I returned to the computer and checked the news on the Internet, heartened to know that there are still creatures in the world joyously ignorant of what is going on in man's world.