they came again,
the wintering white tails —
a tableau of brown
in a wash of white

It is almost zero degrees tonight. Where do they go when it gets this cold?
Several times over the past couple of days, I startled the one young deer as she searched through the snow outside the kitchen window for what the birds left behind. She comes in late afternoon, when I’m starting to think about what to make for supper. I didn’t even know she was there until I saw her jerk back and look at me through the partially closed window blinds. She seems to be the only one of the small herd who ventures close to the house to look for food. Apparently, the others have better instincts.
I have discovered that it’s not good to feed the deer in winter.
I don’t feed the deer. I feed the birds. But if the food is there, they all go for it. So should I not feed the birds?
It’s a dilemma.
Meanwhile, the herd comes and goes across these few acres. I hope they have some shelter tonight.