moments of peace

Tonight on the way home my headlights caught a deer on the side of the road grazing.  This is not an overly unusual thing in Michigan, or even our part of the greater metro Detroit area, but it always makes my breath catch just a little.  I'm not entirely sure what it is about deer that I find so visually appealing, but I find that spotting one often has a very calming effect on me... interesting since they seem to be such nervous creatures (at least city deer are!)  In any case, I was pleased to see one this evening, even if it was just a quick glimpse as I drove by.

The image I'm sharing with you was taken a few years ago, in a very densely populated area, directly behind a bank.  I had stopped one Sunday to make a deposit at the ATM, and as I began to pull around to leave the bank, I saw these three fawns grazing in the back area.  This is *not* a part of greater metro Detroit where I would expect to see deer in broad daylight... particularly not three unsupervised (to my eyes) fawns.  I was momentarily frozen by their grace and instant attention.  Thank goodness I came to enough to remember that I had my camera in the car that particular afternoon, and so I very quietly stepped out of my vehicle and crept as close as I could (shooting all the while) until I came within about 30 feet of them.  At that point they decided I'd gotten enough shots and took off for the trees, but it was an incredible experience, with some fantastic images to show for it!