In some traditions, spring begins in the beginning of February. That suits me. The days are getting longer now. The promise of popping crocus, budding trees, and warming weather is in my bones. And when I think of spring, I often think of fawns. In a couple of months we’ll see mothers with their furry fawns dancing through the woods.
The fawn you see here was such a surprise! On this day, I decided it was time to mow my lawn, so I got in my car to move it out of the way. I backed down the driveway a ways and got out of the car. To my great surprise there was a fawn lying down right where my car had been parked! My first reaction was sheer panic at the thought that I could have run over the poor baby. My second thought was to get the dogs in the house so they wouldn’t frighten her more. My third thought was to get my camera!
Of course the baby was frightened, but she didn’t know what to do. I rushed the dogs in the house, grabbed my camera, and came running back outside. In the midst of all that frenzy she had gotten up and moved near the house behind some bushes. She didn’t know where to go. Her mother was nowhere in sight. I began photographing her while speaking to her reassuringly. So beautiful! As I photographed her I began calling to its mother, “Come get your baby, mama! You’re baby needs you! Where are you, mama?” Sure enough, mom entered the scene. When baby saw mama, off she went, and together they bound into the woods across the stream.
What a precious few moments I got to spend with these gentle creatures!
