From my kitchen window you’d look north through a stand of trees, down a small grass hill, across the street that runs alongside my house and over to a neighbors home surrounded by trees.  The lot to the east of them in not developed and consequently densely filled with trees.  We usually see deer  coming out of those woods and hear all kinds of nocturnal birds in that direction.

Last night as I closed the blinds before doing the dishes I saw the silhouette of a deer on my yard.  Turning out the kitchen lights I called the family and we all stood there watching it; it watching us.  How mighty and amazing; utterly beautiful.  It was thin with small antlers but probably as tall or taller than my husband.  After several minutes it turned and slowly walked across the street only to vanish into the woods.

We’ve seen deer in the neighborhood; sometimes in our back yard, sometimes running across the street but this time was different and amazing.  It stood there, backlit from the street lamp across the way and stared back at us.

I can’t think of what would top this experience at the moment…except the moose in my friend Kristine’s yard.  She lives in Alaska.