Seeing something for the first time.

I spent time recently cleaning up some trimmings in the back yard. By “some trimmings” I am referring to a monster pile of cut branches from our crepe myrtle trees, otherwise known as the FrankenTree. I love the smooth brown trunks and the beautiful spring flowers of the myrtle trees, but man do these babies grow fast. Ours reached 25 feet or so when I cut them back to eight-foot stalks, so here I am standing by the pile, lopping shears in hand.

Pretty boring little story amirite? Yes, there I have used internet lingo which should never be spoken by anyone over the age of 24 or so, and one which makes my daughter cringe when I say it. ikr? Heh.

Anyway, just when you are resolved to accept the banality of little things, life has a way of surprising you and showing you something you may not have seen before. The forest behind our house is a pretty expansive 1000 acres and slopes down to Bolin Creek. On this day I hear the insistent barking of a dog in the woods, the kind of bark that implies urgency and intent. And there amongst the trees I see this pure white Husky running and barking, running and barking, chasing three full grown deer. They pass not 30 feet from me and all I can do is watch the show.

They head off down the way toward the creek, the white dog a dwindling blur, his barks diminishing like a Doppler effect on sound and movement. And then here they come again(!), quite literally running in circles. As they disappear a second time the barking slows and stops, and I wonder if the deer simply had enough of this nonsense and turned to hold their ground. The dog is probably thinking,

“Hey guys I just got out of the house and wanted to run after you! Chill out OK?  Besides did you see look on that guy’s face back there? Priceless!”