Dakota Deer

Deer love lilacs, as I found out when one nipped all the tops off one of my precious heirloom starts this spring. Just to be sure it died, a rabbit barked it all the way around. It is now surrounded by a column of chicken wire, too little too late. Bah.

There's plenty to love in North Dakota. I was stunned by this display of shades in an enormous hedge, from near-white to blue to rose-purple, with no house anywhere near remaining. All that remained of the settlers was the ageless plants they left behind. All the lilacs were in full bloom the first week of June.

North Dakota turns out to be a great place to watch deer. Some of the largest whitetails in the world come from its marble soils, where bones grow big and strong, and a big body helps an animal survive plummeting temperatures. Some, however, were still very very small.
Everywhere we turned, it seemed, a doe was nursing her fawn, or telling it to duck and cover while she bolted away. Older does often have twins and sometimes triplets. It's a mistake to get too close to fawns, because even though they're motionless, they're very frightened, and they will get up and toddle off if pressed. This is why I love my long lens. Whether fawn or butterfly, I can leave them undisturbed.
Mother makes a great show of running off, hoping we'll follow and forget the treasure in the grass, scentless and scared.
I like the soft colors in this primal scene.
That's all, just some deer, water, grass and sky. Repeat as necessary until relaxation occurs.

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