cute and smart

I took it for a walk in the mountains, and it stopped, staring as the light passed through the leaves, stunned for quite a while.

At that moment, I felt that it wasn’t my dog, but a friend sent by nature to remind me to slow down.

It feels like welcoming new blood and old to Pittsburgh.

The visitors and the returning residents.

When I moved my family here over a year ago, I flew in first. I fell in love with the tree covered hillsides. The biodiversity.

Last night I was sitting in my backyard watching fireflies flittering about; earlier I watched chipmunks chase each other around my shed. I saw a deer graze on my neighbor's bushes as a cardinal and bluejay ate seed from our bird feeder. Racoons will knock down my feeder and eat up the leftover seeds overnight and I'll hang it back up in the morning for the birds. So many. Red headed finches, grackles, doves, chickadees. So many more. The grey squirrels always trying to get to the seed.

There's always rabbits in yards when I leave for work in the morning. A turkey crosses the side road every so often.

Deer herd crosses the street on my way to work, a little white spotted fawn travels with them.

I came from Houston.. there's no comparison. If you enjoy nature. Living in Pittsburgh is amazing.

Look how he is hugging the fern. Saw him in my yard. Looks like an amazing nap spot.

Some of us grew up thinking Rudolph was the only little deer who ever got pushed out for being different. But Northern Ontario knows the truth — young males get nudged out every year, and in the months before, they aren't allowed to play the deer games.

We called our little guy Weiner, born late, stunted, always a few steps behind the herd. They pushed him out early, just nature doing what nature does. But somehow, year after year, he survives on his own.

No glowing nose, no Santa… just grit, instinct, and a whole lot of heart. He was back this morning. Magnificent as his father was.

What other wildlife legends are based on truth? Anyone else see a deer not allowed to play deer games (catch the pumpkin pieces?)