in the forest, part 2: deer papparazzi

in the forest, i made friends with a doe and a deer. 

i couldn't sleep our first night there. i had to pee really badly. but i had no intention of walking in the utter darkness of the forest by myself. there were bear warning signs everywhere. so i held my pee and woke myself up at first light to make my gravel-crunching journey to the bathroom, the quiet echoing through the trees. 

that's when i saw, my friend the doe. she was just there, in the middle of the camp site throughway, munching on some leaves. she stopped eating as i approached and looked into the forest. i thought she was going to bolt. and like a giddy groupie, i waved hello. and gave a high-pitched whisper only moths could hear, "it's okay. go ahead, and eat. i'm fine right here." (i think i even tee-heed.)

the doe munched on some leaves, made eye-contact with me (oh-mah-gosh), crossed the gravel path, took a sip from some water that collected on the ditch, and silently walked back in the forest. all this happened in about 30 seconds, though i could swear to you, it was at least an hour because time stands still on moments as still and magical as this. i don't think i took a breath until she left, sweet thing.

i have no photo to prove that any of this happened. but i know it did. and that's all that matters. 

the next day, my friend the doe (i'm calling her lily) brought her boyfriend, the deer (james) came to visit me. 

i am only including this shot to illustrate that there were 2 deer in my vicinity.
and that national geographic will never hire me for my wildlife photography skills. 

they happened to saunter rather nonchalantly through the woods behind our camp. so my friend christine and i, stalked them for as long as we could stand - my hands too shaky to take more than 2 clean shots of such forest patronuses celebrities.

i am aware that this is not a clean shot. but lily was feeling shy with me at that moment. 

the clean shots i took were of james, the stag.

i know. i am all sillyness. i enter the forest and suddenly i'm 12 again. 

next time, on "in the forest, part 3: the hills are alive".