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It was hot out yesterday, with the air still and humid. Not far from the house, at the base of an old oak tree, a sleeping fawn was curled into a tight ball. Don had discovered it before light, and where it lay, we could see it from the garage window. It was a tiny one, the first we'd seen this year.
I watched the little creature as the sun rose in the sky
and the shadows moved across the grass.
Its white spots moved up and down with the rhythm of its breathing.
Mid morning, it woke and sniffed its surroundings
before laying back down.
Barley is one of the gentlest souls around,
and he was was curious enough to take a sniff...
but as soon as the little one raised its head, Barley backed away.
The fawn woke again in the afternoon, stretched its legs,
then folded them up like an card table and returned to its nap.
We've often heard that it's not wise to intervene on behalf of a lone fawn, as the mothers normally leave them in a safe place and go about their business, but now its easier to see why people do that. As far as we could tell, this little fawn was left alone just about ten hours, and we were wondering how it could stay hydrated on such a hot day. Apparently their moisture requirements are much different than ours.
Finally, late in the afternoon, the mama doe came back.
The thirsty little fawn drank its fill, then followed its mama into the woods.
We love happy endings.
In His hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind.
