Morning Deer Watch

For the past two weeks, since moving, I have been learning about my "Anishinabek" spirit and drawing closer to nature. This morning when John got home from work; I heard him come in the door and then as we were sitting on the couch, with him flicking through the channels on television, he then asked me. "Would you like to go and see the deer this morning". I said "Yes sure" jumped up off the couch then went to the room and got dressed.

It was 6:30am and not yet light as we drove to the "Base de Plein-Air" (Longueuil). This green space of wildlife and walking paths on the South Shore of Montreal; is only a few minutes walk from my new residence with John. The rain did not discourage me as I had previous visited the area during the week and some friends of John said how they had seen deer that morning. They talked about a female with three young, and John said that was strange since a female deer usually has only one young. They said they had also seen a buck with a few other deer.

As we sat at the picnic table and watch the morning light arrive over the edge of the pond, we could see a few people walking in the distance. As they walked in the distance on a path, John said of a women dressed in a white raincoat. "She won't see any deer dressed like that, they will see her immediately" It was surprising that I found the above photo on the web, because it is how the deer came out of the edge of the woods as we watched. They walked directly toward the women in the white raincoat. There was a large female and three small deer (yearlings). They started to eat food which the women was throwing to them. John said "That is not normal, they should be afraid of her" and later " said she must come every morning for the deer to be so friendly with her".

As we sat there in the rain, we watched the deer come out of the woods and without regard for danger approach the women and her friend. She was in the middle of the field and several people passed nearby but the deer did not seem to sense any danger.

My feelings as I sat there on the picnic table bench with John , were feelings of happiness and joy just in awe watching the deer and her young ones eating there not afraid of anything else that had been going on in the park that early morning. It was such a nice scene to sit and watch that early in the morning as John and I sat and also greeted the day (morning). It is not like I have never seen any deer before but, the deer which I have seen before in my days were nothing like those deer there in the park in Longueuil, Quebec . That was a beautiful morning indeed, very much enjoy sharing those types of moments with my new found boyfriend.

In closing this on the deer in the "Base de Plein-Air Park" In Longueuil , Quebec , knowing I will get many more chances to get out there in that Park either in the early morning hours or later in the day when they the deer , come out before dusk again will most likely go to watch them feed again. We will be going this Winter coming in that same park also to go Cross-country skiing and be seeing all kinds of wildlife that come and hang around in the ever so peaceful park . Of which none of the animals are afraid there because, they know they are not being hunted in that park which therefore they know they are safe and always being fed there. So that was such a beautiful thing to watch ,and learn about Longueiul, Quebec.