My Dear Little Friends

 Or, should I say, my little deer friends.

Last year, we noticed that apparently at least one doe thinks our fenced in hayfield/pastures makes a nice safe nursery to leave her fawn in.  We would see that fawn almost daily (and typically in the early morning or dusky evening, the doe in there nursing it) for about two months.  As it got bigger, it got curious as to the goings on in the barn and would venture closer trying to see inside when I was cleaning stalls or feeding horses.  Then, one day, I saw it crawl through the rails of the gate, and out it went into the big wide world, following mama around.

This year, there are two fawns, I'm assuming twins, as I've only seen one doe go inside or jump out of the fenced area.  The fawns, who I've been aware of since late May when they were tiny and rarely seen (unless I happened to ride nearly on top of them while they were curled up in the growing grass of the hayfield), are now to the much bolder and more adventurous stage.  They will stand, thinking I can't see them in the (still, can we please have three dry days without rain?!?) uncut hay, and watch me work horses.

zoomed in, I was about 20 yards away

One morning this week, I walked out to the barn to feed horses their breakfast, and was greeted by this:

not zoomed in, actual distance

They watched me get just a little closer than this, then turned and scampered away into the taller grass.

Pretty soon they will figure out how to crawl through the gate, and then they'll be gone.  Off to the larger field and the woods, and I won't recognize them from all the other local deer when I see them again.