Deer season

I woke this morning and when I stepped from the door of my small backyard cabin, I took a few steps, looked up, and "Woah, there's a buck. In the backyard. Chilling." I took a step back and stared. He stared back, this four-pointer. Then I made a few quick, silly hand movements in order to scare him away. The buck rose, but he didn't move much. After a while, I decided to go back inside and re-think my plan.

My newspaper lay out front, the buck in the path to get there. But there's a back gate, and a few minutes later, instead of butting heads with the buck, I slipped out the back gate, walked around to the front, then returned to the back gate, drawing only a stare and nose-sniff.

I thought he would leave sometime during the morning. I looked out every half-hour or so, and each time, he was lying down or up, chomping on grass. Later, I slipped out the back again and after watching the Kentucky football game, I have not yet returned to my place.

I was thinking that this buck doesn't know where he's supposed to be, certainly not in some backyard in the middle of the city. But then I realized he's probably smarter than I give him credit: He's seeking refuge -- today is the first day of deer season.