Dear Yosemite Deer

Friends I greet you from Yosemite March 4, 2015 Why are deer so dear to us??? Yosemite's mule deer are gentle in appearance. They put a tender feeling in our hearts. Deer are endearing....for so many reasons. Late winter storms....snow.... time to go spring skiing on my cross country touring skis. Some time to enjoy the crisp whiteness of winter...in spring-like conditions...and get some exercise. The chickaree and coyote tracks got my morning o? to a good start. Where was the coyote going??? I followed his tracks...and soon deer tracks were cross crossing the old road. Coyote left the snowy road... Where was the my beloved deer going??? Deer, like dogs and cats, are diagonal walkers....they walk exactly like a baby crawls...moving limbs on opposite sides of the body at the same time. In fact, the type of skiing I was enjoying is called diagonal stride....what could be more natural than striding....gliding... as a means of going place to place? Nordic skiing is an ideal family recreation. Following the beautiful deer tracks, I wondered why he didn't go straight up the road, but went o? to the right first...before heading uphill on the road. Following his tracks.... yes, they lead to a snack....manzanita bushes...but also to another deer who had come from the other side. I noticed a second set of tracks. The deer were browsing together. They love nibbling on twigs, leaves, and buds. The old road I was on...for the deer is a general trail...."one that is used by many di?erent species...one that is very wide and prominent. Deer runs...di?erent from trails...lead to specific feeding, watering, and bedding areas. Manifold junction....a short section of trail with many runs branching o? both sides. Cluster junction...a place where a number of runs converge. Both are typical of popular feeding areas."....Tom Brown. The Tacker....by Tom Brown...writing about deer, "Their eyesight was good and their sense of smell even better, but their hearing was even better than both, and they had an uncanny sense of what was going on in the woods.... The center of our lives was the understanding of nature. To be free in the woods, you must be free in yourself. "

So why else are deer so dear to us??

They are interesting to observe...and they are fun to track. They are dearly loved because they are pretty. They are free...wildlife. They live in families. They are much loved because the spotted fawns are cute. Aren't they darling? The young deer tracks are as especially lovely. Taking pictures of the deer tracks on the road...and some close up shots of their tracks, made me happy. At heart...in one's innermost nature...one should be close to Nature...Get near to deer..and Nature...The a?ection we feel toward deer grows as we get nearer to them and Nature. Today, the deer are helping me follow the DEAR plan!!! Diet Exercise Aerobics for the brain Rest...Relaxation...Recreation, Sleep Take to heart...to help with R&R.... find JOY... Henry Beston ...Northern Farm..."To speak in paradox, a sense of joy in living is one of the most serious things in the world." Why are deer so dear to us??? Look at their tracks...what shape are they??? The tracks are heart-shaped with a ridge down the middle!!! That's why deer are so dear to us. Because...they are lovely to look at, they are loving family members...and because.... Deer...and their tracks speak to our hearts....and...by loving....we exercise our hearts!!! ...and that is why deer are so dear to us. After having a heart to heart with Nature....spending a joyful day in the fresh air.... on skis gliding over the snow...in a beautiful forest....tracking its inhabitants...admiring Nature's fresh artistic strokes of snow to the scenery, and eating a healthy hearty dinner of beans, I heard the lullaby of the sunset....I would sleep well tonight in my Yosemite hearth. Good night. Visit healthybrainmd.com for the DEAR plan details. Tom Brown's Field Guide To Nature Observation And Tracking For some R and R, vacation in Yosemite and stay with Scenic Wonders.....in our comfortable homes and condominiums. Get a good night's rest after a day filled with fun activities for both the body and brain....and heart. Another terrific day in Yosemite Sent from my iPod Pictures taken by my iPod