Hello, gorgeous!

I came yawning into the kitchen about 4:45 am yesterday morning. As I stood at the kitchen sink filling the tea kettle, I saw the tiniest fawn. Hello, gorgeous! I snatched up my camera, but the light was pretty dim so the pix didn't come out the clearest.

The doe and fawn were standing on a strip of mown pasture Don had knocked down with the brush hog a few days before. The fawn gamboled about and kicked up its heels in the manner of newborns (our calves used to do the same thing), and I suspect the reason was it had room to move. Because of all the rain we've had, the grasses are nearly over my (5'2") head, so this little baby is normally buried by vegetation.

(Blurred image of gamboling fawn.)

Mama hovered nearby and soon marshaled her offspring out of sight.

I'll keep an eye out for this pair in the next couple weeks. Hopefully the next time I see them, the light will be better.

Then yesterday afternoon I noticed this heavily pregnant doe standing curiously still in our front yard.

It was pouring rain, and for the longest time – 10 or 15 minutes – she just stood there. She had a preoccupied look on her face.

I've seen that preoccupied look before – in a cow about to give birth. It's like they look inward, not outward.

And then – she hunched her back. Yep, I've seen that before too. This doe was in early labor.

I was kinda hoping she'd have her fawn in our front yard, but no such luck. Shortly after taking these pictures, she made her way out of sight, presumably to a more private location.

I have a feeling we'll be seeing a lot of fawns this summer.