Gaia's back...

Dear friends,

If you remember on Earth Day, we had a new arrival here...a baby fawn that I named "Gaia." We were worried about her, but her mother finally came and fetched her away after a snack of warm deer milk.

Today, Husband informed me that Gaia was back, snuggled in between our recycling and trash cans out by the garage. She was asleep, and we couldn't even see her sides moving. At first I feared the worst, so I gently blew on her. Her nose started twitching, and her ears flicked. She was OK! That was early this morning.



Now, it's 7:00 p.m., and she's still there. She did stand up, still wobbly, which seems strange to me since she's at least two weeks old now. I saw her groom herself, which is a good sign, I think. Is she ill? Did her mother abandon her? I remember what the Austin Wildlife Rescue person told me--that the mothers would come back at dusk for their babies, to leave them alone unless they were in danger, that human noises wouldn't bother them. Etc., etc. Yes, logically I know all this. But still...

I try to soothe myself with thoughts of all the millions of deer who have done just fine without me to care for them, thank you very much, and thoughts about the deer over-population issues around here in central Texas. I remember the herds of them that hang around our rural sub-division like so many pets, grazing on the grasses.

Still, I told Husband that if she's ill, I would rather her go down to the oak grove at the bottom of the property and lay down there near the shady graves of Bushwhacker, Lulu and Demi, our beloved cat angels. I don't want her to die here, near the house.

Besides, the deer stay down there, maybe there's another deer who would adopt her.

The thing is, there's a storm brewing, with tornado watches and possibilities of hail. Don't borrow trouble, the sages say. But still, a baby out in the storm. I can't stand for that!

The weather is calmer now; maybe the mother will come back soon...

I'm a basket case over this little fawn!

I hope her mother comes back soon.

bobbi c.

copyright ©2007 bobbi a. chukran