(This was originally posted at my Blog Peaceful Heart Village Blog)

I saw him four times today. It’s a little newborn fawn. He is very brave — so I’ll call him Bambi. It all started this morning while I was on the phone with a fellow health coach. I love sitting at my computer in the morning looking out across the field and pond. So while I was speaking with my friend about coaching, I occasionally looked out the window. It is such a beautiful view. While momentarily focusing back on my computer, I was suddenly distracted by movement out of the corner of my eye. Through the window I saw a lovely medium brown blur that, at a glance, looked small enough to be a rabbit as it disappeared into the grass. But no, those do not look like rabbit ears sticking up. It has to be a fawn.

Yup it’s a fawn. He stayed right there in the grass all the while I was on the phone. I can tell you it was quite a distraction and a test of my ability to stay focused.

Being a health coach is all about listening and responding to what you hear. It’s about the client and their goals — not mine. True listening requires a great deal of focus. I really like coaching because it gives me the opportunity to help someone else reach their goals, dreams and aspirations. I’ve done a lot of teaching and classroom instruction and coaching is quite different. It’s not about my agenda. It’s about their agenda and their solutions. As a coach I come from a place of no judgment and offer no advice without first asking for permission. My clients can accept or reject any of my suggestions. Or they might come up with an alternative on their own. Getting distracted can lead to slipping into telling someone else what you think they should do. Despite the Bambi distraction — and maybe more because of the distraction I was able to practice my coaching skills with a peer and move a step closer to perfect listening.

Shortly after I finished my call Bambi decided to stir. Scott got the picture below just as Bambi the Brave was getting up and stretching from his nap. He was almost exactly in the middle of that field. I’ve seen other fawns do the same thing. When they want to get out in the sun, they will go to near the center of the field and the higher ground if they can find any. The grass does not need to be very tall — just enough to hide them. About 6 inches or so will do when they are laying down. Last year as we were moving the sheep from one field to another, I almost stepped on a fawn – and still it didn’t move. Only when I moved away from it did it get up to make a run for the woods. I love living on this land.

So back to my very interesting day, I finished my telephone call and went about my business. I began  puttering around, getting more coffee and looking for Scott. Of course I looked out my kitchen window as I walked by — and there he was again under a cedar tree in that same field. This tree is to the left and just out of frame of the picture above.

I grabbed the camera and gently opened the front door. Can you see him there in the shadows. (See below) He looked up briefly but then went back to grooming himself. I walked down the front steps and down into the field towards him. He stayed there in the shade of that tree for a long time. I got quite a few pictures before he ran away.

That was a fun interlude. However, really I needed to get to the bank before Saturday closing time so off I went to take care of business in town.

It was a really beautiful day. I had some good conversation at the bank and a lovely drive there and back. I even did a little grocery shopping. These days going to the grocery store is quite an outing. It’s an event that only happens monthly now. We rarely buy anything anymore. We have the garden for our vegetables. We have lamb in one freezer, beef and pork in another. Today we needed coffee. I picked up some nice wine as well.

When I returned home I did a few more things around the house. Supper was in the crock pot. Clothes were in the washer, etc. In the late afternoon I decided it was time to pick peas again. Last week I put up 8 one-pound packages of peas in the freezer. Plus 4 pounds the week before. Evening entertainment has been shelling peas while watching a movie. It’s a beautiful thing. I wonder how many peas I will pick today. No pictures of the peas but here is one of some of the blackberries that will be ready in 3 weeks or so. Then my days will be filled with making jam, jelly and pies. Yum, yum.

Okay, back to picking peas. We have a woven wire fence around the garden that is about 4 ft tall. Above that reaching to 8 ft is a deer fence. I opened the gate into the garden with my picking baskets over my arm. Unexpectedly I heard a racket over near the corner of the fence. I looked to my left past the tomato plants. There was Bambi the Brave. This time he was trying to leap through the fence to get out. The lambs use this trick as well. He was almost through and could have made it (the lambs often do) but he untangled himself and backed out. Then he ran over to hide behind the peas. I ran into the house to get the camera. Unfortunately he was nowhere to be found when I returned. Sigh – no pics for this part but there were plenty of peas to pick so I got started.

We planted about 100 sq ft of peas and planted them thickly. This is the third year we’ve grown peas, yet the first time they have produced enough to allow for stocking some in the freezer. We eat a lot of peas this time of year.

I luxuriated for about an hour and a half in the garden on this day. As I strolled around checking on everything I pulled a few of the ever-present weeds. The beets, collard greens and mustard greens are still producing. I picked some for dinner and brought everything in the house. The greens needed a nice cooking bath in the sink. I put the stopper in the bottom and started running the cold water into the sink. While waiting on the water to fill the sink I gazed out the kitchen window. And what did I see?

Yup there he is again. Bambi the Brave. The sink almost ran over while I was out taking this picture and a couple more. Wow, three times I’ve seen him today. We have had this property for nine years and we’ve seen lots of deer. I have to say that this is the first time that we have had a little one that was so brave or maybe just innocent.

The day was filled with other wonders as I also caught Bambi’s Mom on camera. I saw her twice today. Here she is looking at me, looking at her. We have lots of does wandering around. Scott said he saw 6 on this day while up in the high field cleaning up some old hay. They just stare at us like they are wondering what we are doing on their land.

 And there she goes. I got a little too close for comfort.

There are lots more things to do around the house. Eventually I end up in the kitchen again. At the sink I’m now cutting up those greens for dinner in front of the same window overlooking the same field — And there he is again. He was just at the edge of the woods this time. The camera was close and handy having been used so often today and I quietly went outside yet again. This time I got perhaps within 20 ft or so before he ran away.

Well that was it for my Bambi sightings for the day. Life is good at Peaceful Heart Farm. Too bad there was no opportunity to snap a picture of doe and fawn together.

On Sunday I put up 3 pounds of peas and saved almost another pound to take with us to South Carolina. Scott had specifically said that he wanted to get on the road before 7:00 p.m. He didn’t say exactly what time he wanted to leave — probably 6-ish I guessed. I was hurrying around here and there getting ready to leave. It seems like there is always so much to do and no matter how early I start it never works out as planned. It was looking more and more like we were going to leave at  . . . . . . 7:00 — sigghhhh.

Scott was in the shower and I was loading the dishwasher one last time before we left. I looked out the window and there was the doe grazing in the field again. Briefly I considered stopping to take another picture or two but decided against it. We were in a hurry and I could get pictures of a doe any day of the week. I continued cleaning up the kitchen.

I wiped here, wiped there. Went over to the sink and rinsed the sponge. Looked out the window over the sink  — there they were both together. This time I didn’t hesitate. I grabbed that camera off the counter quickly and silently opened the front door. I stepped out on the front porch and snapped a pic. They didn’t run away so I started down the steps holding the camera ready. I wanted to get a picture from another angle.

But this time there was no pause for a “she’s watching me watch her” staring contest. The doe had a different agenda with the little one exposed that way. She turned and ran. I got my second picture as they leaped off to the woods.

It was a special experience and Peace filled my soul.

I hope you enjoyed the story and pictures. There is no substitute for the real thing. So perhaps you’ll be able to visit us one day and experience it for yourself.

Long days and pleasant nights.

Peace.

Melanie