Intimations of winter

Today, I wished I kept my camera to hand at all times!

I was on my way to get fuel for my car - there will be a fuel blockade here on Monday, in protest at the government's policy on fuel tax, so I wanted to be sure I would be able to get to any destination in an emergency without running out of petrol - when a couple of deer crossed the road in front of me. Now, that may not seem like a very exciting event, particularly given that I live in a rural area where the roadside is littered with signs warning of wild animals crossing the road, but, in fact, you very rarely see deer in daylight. What beautiful animals they were.

I do wonder, though, whether it's the onset of winter driving them into the open to find food or if their appearance today was more closely related to the actions of the men in camouflage clothes, riding khaki-coloured quad bikes who lined the route for several kilometres. The latter did appear to be waiting for something to break out of the undergrowth - no dogs with them, so I'd guess they expected a largish animal, not a bird that could be easily retrieved by canine jaws.

Whatever the cause for their appearance in public, I hope the deer made it home safely!

A somewhat melancholy and unrelated footnote. Next week marks the anniversary of my mother's death three years ago. I had been putting this to the back of my mind, but my godmother has just called to ask me to go to see her and my godfather that day. Thank goodness I came home a couple of years ago; it's a difficult time for me, but having good friends who remember my parents well is a great blessing.