Rides, ramblings and rants on a motorcycle.
- We are scientists, too!
12.20.2007,8:32 AM
Whose zoo is this?
"Wow.... what is that?" I thought as my bike's high beams bathed the gravel in front of me.
The muted gray driveway was spotted with dark leaves, a hint of moonlit color betraying their identities. Beige grass with only a hint of its former lively greenness nearly blended into the gravel, suggesting a border of a pathway lit only by bouncing light from my two headlights.
Ahead and around the corner was a tall form, ethereally standing still on the grass in front of the house and next to the gravel. Because of the light of the three-quarter moon filtering through the clouds, combined with the bike's lights, all I could barely discern was a light brown form, white chest and tall neck. A few seconds passed after I slowed, switched to low beams and realized that standing barely 50 feet ahead of me was a beautiful plump deer. As I slowly bled off speed and during one long breath, we looked at each other. I saw a rack of horns on a majestic head and wide black eyes in a long soft, light brown face. He held my eyes and I his as I slowly lowered both booted feet to the gravel and stopped.
With a quick glance to my right, he turned and lopped left off to the woods as the darkness swallowed him. I smiled and nodded. Then finished my ride around the house onto the gravel and anchored the sidestand, facing out toward the main road in the distance.
Over the three years I have lived here, the various creatures that live around me have sensed that I am not a creature to be feared. Fox, hawks, crows, egrets, frogs, toads, skunks, rabbit, turkeys, doves, raccoon, deer, coyotes, owls, even a stray bull, have found refuge on my little spot of solitude and sanctuary. I welcome them all. And like a protective caretaker, I feel angry when neighbors and others intrude on their habitat outside of my legal ground.
I live in a little zoo, a microcosm of natural life, as a guest. I live in a small humble cage and they roam free. But I shall work with my co-habitants to protect and preserve what we have here. Here, where I can be one of them to a small extent. It is this little spot of land and my zoo mates that restore and nurture the wild inside me and instill peace.
The muted gray driveway was spotted with dark leaves, a hint of moonlit color betraying their identities. Beige grass with only a hint of its former lively greenness nearly blended into the gravel, suggesting a border of a pathway lit only by bouncing light from my two headlights.
Ahead and around the corner was a tall form, ethereally standing still on the grass in front of the house and next to the gravel. Because of the light of the three-quarter moon filtering through the clouds, combined with the bike's lights, all I could barely discern was a light brown form, white chest and tall neck. A few seconds passed after I slowed, switched to low beams and realized that standing barely 50 feet ahead of me was a beautiful plump deer. As I slowly bled off speed and during one long breath, we looked at each other. I saw a rack of horns on a majestic head and wide black eyes in a long soft, light brown face. He held my eyes and I his as I slowly lowered both booted feet to the gravel and stopped.
With a quick glance to my right, he turned and lopped left off to the woods as the darkness swallowed him. I smiled and nodded. Then finished my ride around the house onto the gravel and anchored the sidestand, facing out toward the main road in the distance.
Over the three years I have lived here, the various creatures that live around me have sensed that I am not a creature to be feared. Fox, hawks, crows, egrets, frogs, toads, skunks, rabbit, turkeys, doves, raccoon, deer, coyotes, owls, even a stray bull, have found refuge on my little spot of solitude and sanctuary. I welcome them all. And like a protective caretaker, I feel angry when neighbors and others intrude on their habitat outside of my legal ground.
I live in a little zoo, a microcosm of natural life, as a guest. I live in a small humble cage and they roam free. But I shall work with my co-habitants to protect and preserve what we have here. Here, where I can be one of them to a small extent. It is this little spot of land and my zoo mates that restore and nurture the wild inside me and instill peace.
Labels: meanderings
