Oh Deer

The mornings are darker nowadays, and the thermometer's mercury has begun its inexorable trend downward.  The afternoons are still quite comfortable, even as the sun reaches the horizon faster each day.

The Fall brings a palette of oranges and browns, but the beauty is not without danger.  Leaves and pine needles aren't just a nuisance to lawn owners, they also lie in wait on roadway edges and sharp corners.  That all adds to the fun, though!

However, when you round a corner in the early morning darkness and your headlight outlines a multi-point buck standing on the side of the road, your admiration for road challenges is tempered a bit.  Thankfully on this morning, my observer chose bolting back into the woods over opting for an in-person greeting.  As I rounded the roadway where he'd been standing scant seconds ago, the enveloping darkness of the woods enfolded his fading form like a blanket, warming and welcoming a weary traveler.

We each continued on, our day ahead not ruined by a chance morning encounter.

Ride Hard, Get Lucky Sometimes