Beauty in the Stillness...

I love this picture. It illustrates the beauty of a white tail deer finding nourishment in the midst of a long winter. BUT...it's not the illustration I love the most. Instead, it is the memory. I remember the day it was taken and I remember who I was with. Last winter, I arrived at my parent's house and said, "There are a lot of deer out today." With this, Dad and I went for a ride, reliving memories of my childhood.

We spent a couple, if not a few hours, driving around looking for deer and pulling to the side in the areas where we could do it safely...to watch them. It was a great day. We talked about similar drives from when I was too small to see over the steering wheel, to the night drives when I held the spot light. We discussed how times have changed and the quality time spent watching deer is limited to day light. 

Most of you might remember driving at night with a "spot light" to see the deer feed. Near my parents' friends' house, there were fields with fifty or more deer field each time. It was beautiful. Not only did I get to stay up late but I enjoyed conversation and time bonding with my Dad.

When my daughter was little I asked my Dad if we could take her out to spot deer, like he did with me. I was sad to learn it was illegal because people took advantage of the innocence of the deer at night, so it is against the law.

Although disappointed, it didn't defeat us. We simply came up with a new plan, we'd have to take afternoon drives. Dad and I still enjoy this tradition. My daughter isn't a huge fan of stopping to watch deer and wildlife eat but she still joins us...memories that bring smiles.

When you see a deer out in the field, what do you think of ?
Does it trigger a memory, emotion, or feeling?
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