I BARFELYUKED MYSELF—

Yup, there I was without my camera.

It happened this way: Max and I were on our late afternoon hike and were headed out the connector path toward the west trail. The winter sun was angling for bed early as it does this time of year.

Because of the rapidly approaching darkness I left the camera in the house, then--

I noticed Max going to high alert while I scanned ahead and saw it—a nice buck Whitetail Deer was silhouetted through the trees as it ambled toward the hilltop in the northwest corner of the woods.

It was very much aware of our presence but not very alarmed.

It stopped at the top of the hill and looked back toward us. It’s ears like radar antennae standing proud beside a fine rack of antlers—all richly black against the waning amber hue of sky.

I moved slightly to improve my sight line through the trees. The deer’s radar adjusted almost imperceptibly as it stayed focused on the threat I might represent.

Max sat down. I couldn’t tell if he was resting or simply bored with my distracted attention.

The moment stretched on and on, but probably only for a minute or two.

While I was enjoying the affectionate kinship with my best pal and sensing the cerebral delight of a very special moment with that princely creature in the near distance I had to remind myself it was indeed a wild animal—focused only on its own survival.

As it began to slowly meander toward the east, far off dogs barked randomly and the deer instinctively reversed course and disappeared to temporary seclusion in the expanse of high, woody brush to the west.

I silently wished it a safe journey.
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“Barfelyuked”: A word coined by Fogeyisms in the blog dated November 7, 2007