Velvet season

 Late afternoon yesterday, just where the oak trees end and the grassy field begins, a deer stood watching. At first I thought it was a grown fawn, waiting for the doe. Then, at second and third glance, I began to wonder if it was a yearling doe. Finally, the deer stepped away from the shade and shadows and the fading fawn spots became clearly visible. I was looking at this year’s almost grown fawn.

By now I was watching through field glasses and something didn’t look right about the head and ears. Finally, the fawn turned and caught the light just so. I could see antler stubs covered in velvet. The animal was a buck fawn, a “button buck.”

buck with spike antlers in velvet

Photo by J. Harrington

Several years ago we were visited by a spike buck and a forkhorn. This is the first time we’ve seen a button buck. Unfortunately, I didn’t have a camera handy so we can’t share a picture of this year’s visitor, unless he returns some time when I’m ready for him instead of trying to figure out what I’m seeing.

Tomorrow

By Jim Harrison

I’m hoping to be astonished tomorrow

by I don’t know what:

not the usual undiscovered bird in the cold

snowy willows, garishly green and yellow,

and not my usual death, which I’ve done

before with Borodin’s music

used in Kismet, and angels singing

“Stranger in Paradise,” that sort of thing,

and not the thousand naked women

running a marathon in circles around me

while I swivel on a writerly chair

keeping an eye on my favorites.

What could it be, this astonishment,

but falling into a liquid mirror

to finally understand that the purpose

of earth is earth? It’s plain as night.

She’s willing to sleep with us a little while.

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