The Ballet

Overcast today

Lovely sky

Sunrise over the ball fields

Sunrise in the meadow

On our last free Friday of the summer the coming fall was all around us. Corn husks were scattered along the street and through the park - deposited here and there from the harvests miles away.

The woods with its damp barn smell is starting to show ripened nuts and leaves browning. The meadow grass is ripe, seed heads waiving golden white the the morning sunlight.

The clouds were so lovely with the rising sun that we decided to walk to the end of the dirt track to capture more views. We did not expect to see the herd. We saw their tracks in the dust. We heard crashing in the western wood. But it was too late for them to be out in the open.

But when we arrived in the far meadow, the dance began. The large buck leapt from the edge of the woods leading two does and two yearlings across the side of the meadow. The herd stopped to address the audience. Within moments all turned and danced through the meadow. We saw the smaller deer, the yearlings, almost bounce - appearing and disappearing in the tall grass.

The leash tightened in my hand as Paddy and Scruff strained towards the deer - clearly wanting to join the meadow dance.

One of the dancers

Two of the dancers

Only the tail over the tall grass


Then the dancers were gone. And we could breathe again.


But just as we prepared to head for home the final soloist, another somewhat smaller buck, left the shelter of the woods and headed across the meadow. He hesitated only a moment before disappearing into the far tree line.

A chorus of dragonflies swarmed - moving back and forth overhead as we left the dirt track and the woods...a perfect ending for the ballet of our final summer Friday walk.



The count:

My memory of the walk before the dance was erased by the wonder of it all.