I know I grew up in the dark ages. I remember when my family got its first television, and it was black and white viewing. Having a television was such a big deal. If you didn’t go to church on Sunday night, and we always did, you watched The Wonderful World of Disney on ABC. Then, possibly, you switched to CBS to watch The Ed Sullivan Show for events like Elvis Presley and the Beatles. My family spent Sunday evening with NBC watching Bonanza and Mannix.
Way back then, anything Disney was the epitome of family-friendly, safe-to-watch television for children of all ages. This was long before “woke” meant anything other than ending your time asleep in the sack. The only indoctrination was wholesomeness and happily ever after. Everyone knew Cinderella, Pinocchio, and Sleeping Beauty along with Dumbo, Flower, Thumper, and Bambi.
Bambi was always one of my favorites.
Growing up in Ohio, we never saw lions, tigers, or bears which worked their way into The Lion King and The Jungle Book. We did, however, see deer on occasion. Perhaps that is why I like them?
Deer have been in Ohio long before it ever became a state. It isn’t certain if it was Native Americans or pioneers who coined the term “buckeye”. That’s the nut from the buckeye tree, our state tree. It gets its name because it resembles the eye of a buck deer. Now, nobody would have called it such a thing if there were no deer around to compare it to.
The deer are still here even with ever expanding cities across the state. Somehow, the critters have learned to adapt to humans. I’m not sure how. Once on my daily walk within Columbus, I found a fawn asleep where the sidewalk ended. Nope, no book of poems by Shel Silverstein, but a real sleeping baby deer.
Simply adorable!
I have friends who don’t feel so inclined. Tommy lives in Clintonville, an old, established neighborhood of Columbus with grand homes, equally grand trees, and a ravine cutting through it. If you live near that ravine, your yard is most likely visited by deer. That means your garden flowers, which are lovingly planted and cared for, are frequent meals for neighboring trespassers into your yard. No, Tommy is not a fan of Bambi nor any of his kin.
A little to the east of Columbus is the picturesque village of Granville. It frequently makes the list (often topping them) of the most charming small towns in the state. It has quaint cafes, a bustling Main Street USA, majestic houses, and an historic university founded in 1831. At one point in my life, I almost moved to this village.
My friend Steve and his wife live in Granville. Just a smidge from the center of town, their beautiful home has a wrap-around porch surrounded by flowers and trees. It’s just lovely. It’s also a magnet for the local deer population who are not afraid to wander into town when the sun goes down. No, Steve is not a fan of Bambi and family. Neither is his wife. She calls them rats with antlers.
I’m still unpacking and arranging my new home in Mt. Vernon, but I’ve had a few deer encounters as well. One early morning, much to my surprise, I spotted a deer on my street in the center of town! I was shocked. (I was not shocked that the critter was eating plants around a neighbor’s home.) I’ve also seen one in broad daylight by the town’s Walmart. I try to avoid the traffic in the area. I thought for sure the deer would do the same. And, I’ve seen several deer on the edge of Mt. Vernon on my way home from church.
I looked at several homes in and around Mt. Vernon. One home that I really liked, which I am thankful I didn’t get, is on the edge of town. It’s too close to the road on a curve where people drive too fast. And, just past it is where I spotted my most recent deer.
As it darted in front of my car!
This isn’t supposed to happen in the middle of the afternoon. The animal came out of nowhere! Fortunately, I try never to speed. I frequently don’t even go the speed limit. Whatever the speed I was going, this is another one of those times in my life when I know my guardian angels were watching over me.
I slammed on my breaks!
A lot of things can go through your mind at a time like this. My mother once totaled her car when she hit a deer at night. I thought, “I really don’t want to total my car!” I should have thought, “Jesus, Take the Wheel.” (That’s the only lyric I know from that song.)
I don’t know how I didn’t total my little Yaris.
The critter ran completely across the road in front of me. I heard a small thump. I must have nicked a hoof as it soared past me. Fortunately, I never saw a crippled deer along the roadside afterwards. When I stopped my car, there was no dent of any kind on the front of my Toyota.
I’m going to have to be even more alert driving in and around town. And, I may have to rethink my whole affinity with the deer population in Ohio. They may be rats with antlers after all, very destructive rats with antlers.