Thursday, January 01, 2009



When Chuck and I woke this morning, I looked out of our french doors to see this deer huddled in front of *Beau and *Red's paddock gate. The pictures, of course, aren't very good as I had to take them through the window. However, they are good enough for you to see that she/he has a bit of blood at the left corner of her mouth.






We were first concerned that she could have been hit by a car and that the blood was a sign of internal bleeding; but as the time progressed and she got up to move on, we weren't sure what had happened.






Chuck went out to hay and afterwards watched her browsing around the apple tree behind our arena (where the old pond used to be). He said she was limping a small bit, but seemed fine otherwise. He checked the gate area and found just a wee bit of blood, and then he tracked her movements. He found that she had come down from Route 2, and that some predator's tracks followed her, but that when she went through the rope fence we put up this year, the predator stopped and turned around. The fence was most assuredly not what stopped the predator (which most likely was a coydog), but the close proximity of the much larger herbivores did. The deer must have felt save among them even though she startled them!






One could take this for what it was; a happenstance. I, though, always look for a deeper meaning. The deer symbolizes compassion and love; gentleness and closeness to the Great Spirit. As she arrived here on the first day of the new year, I will take this as a sign that this is where I need to concentrate my efforts this year. To share compassion with those around me who need it; love my family and friends as much as I can; to keep my soul and spirit quiet and gentle so that I may hear the Spirit around me and allow it to influence all that I do.






May this year bring all of you love and good fortune.