We Miss You, Ned

Every time I look out my back window I hope to see Ned, the deer. Some of you know what I’m talking about… He was here a couple of years ago, touring the island.

I named him Ned after the character Ned Merrill in the fantastic movie, The Swimmer. Ned (the man) decides to swim home through all the backyard pools in the county.

When we first saw Ned (the deer) it was the morning of July 4th. I was about to get changed to head over to a friend’s house for a BBQ when I noticed something different out of the corner of my eye. I looked up and saw him, standing there in our backyard, looking at me through the window as if to say, “What took you so long – what’s for lunch?”

I froze and kept looking at him. Yup – that is a DEER. In our BACKYARD. I sloooowly tiptoed away from the window toward the hallway where I could quietly call my husband’s name. I knew he’d want to see this.

We crept back into the bedroom, and thankfully Ned was still there so I didn’t look like a total lunatic. He was just hangin’ out. Munching on foliage in the neighbor’s yard, then bounding over the fence to nap under our giant sequoia.

I eventually went outside and said hello to him in person. He didn’t bolt. He looked me square in the eye and seemed somewhat at ease around a human. I just couldn’t believe we had a DEER. In our BACKYARD.

Back in the house, I watched him through the window until it was time to leave, but I didn’t want to go. It was amazing to have a deer chillin’ in our yard. So serene and calming. I wanted him to stay forever. We have plenty of oats to share.

When we got home that evening he was still there and it made me so happy. But by the next morning he was gone. He came through one other night that summer but hasn’t been back since. I hope he found a safe place to be and is enjoying life in a less urban environment.  If you see him, please tell him hello and we miss him.