Arriving at our Littleton, Colorado, farm, I was greeted by the sight of a young mule deer, browsing on fallen pears in our front yard. Over the next hour, as I surveyed the property and attempted to rescue plants that were withering in the summer heat, my visitor looked up from time to time but was otherwise oblivious to my presence.
While Littleton boasts a scenic and diverse greenbelt along the South Platte River, most of the Valley has succumbed to suburban sprawl. When we purchased our farm, in 1990, the area was still semirural, a mix of small farms, horse stables, cattle ranches and streamside woodlands. Since then, open space has steadily declined and our property is one of the few refuges for wild creatures that stray from the greenbelt.
The deer, which I have since learned was camping out on our farm for the past week, put up with my presence for a couple of days and has now moved on. Though I would welcome her return, I suspect she needs her space. In that respect, we're very much alike.
