Oh No!

She's going to get me in trouble. I hope the rangers aren't watching.

Those are the thoughts that crossed my mind this morning. I had placed a dozen or so peanut chips on the back of that bench, just to see if there were any hungry (and photogenic) birds lurking in the trees. This doe is the critter that was lurking and she hustled straight for the peanuts the second I set them down. I was still standing there as she walked up to the bench and slurped up all the peanuts with her long pink tongue. I could have touched her, she was that close. Within minutes, she was joined by a second doe and then another. My heart melted, and I put down a few more peanuts (after looking around to make sure I was still the only human in the area). Then they just stood there on the other side of the bench staring at me with big brown eyes, as I explained, as kindly as I could, that I could get in real trouble for feeding them. If they didn't remember the ranger who threatened me with a ticket for feeding the animals, I sure hadn't forgotten him. But those big, brown eyes! I had to tear myself away before I dumped my entire bag of peanuts at their cloven hooves!