This morning, Tuesday, I went for my customary walk. The air was fresh and nice, with a small breeze.

I came traipsing down our driveway at the end of my walk and spotted something unusual in the at-that-time-somewhat-shaded gravel parking area. As I got closer, I realized the item was a sweet new baby fawn. The bright white spots stood out against the dark brown fur.

It lay so still that I worried it was not alive. But I could see the faint rise and fall of its sides and an occasional slight nose twitch.

Mama Doe had told her baby to stay right there and not move until she returned. Junior obeyed well.

Did you know that does leave their babies unattended almost the entire day? Often up to 12 hours at a time, going off to forage for food, but coming back two or three times to feed their offspring? I was amazed. I had seen a doe in the distance. I presume that was Mama.

My husband had earlier gone out, so I called him and warned him not to back into the parking area as he usually does because of the baby.

When he arrived home, I went out and stopped him from driving in too far.

The fawn hadn't moved an inch with all this going on. However, when the sun rose higher and the shade disappeared, it became restless, perked its ears up and lifted its head.

I, being a human mama, couldn't stand to see it getting too hot, so I went outside and stood away from it, but where my body gave it shade. But it was hot by then, and I could feel my neck starting to sunburn, so I went back inside the house. I watched out the window for a bit, but I didn't see it move other than moving its head.

My husband also periodically watched out the window and saw the fawn rise up on very wobbly legs and move toward the shade of a cholla. Not much shade there, but better than the full sun.

Somewhat later, I noticed that the spot under the cholla was also full sun, and I could see no fawn. I started out the door to look and Mama Doe came out from under the big piñon tree. So somehow, I assume, Junior had gotten under the tree where the shade thickened.

Mama drained the bird bath for the third time today, and when I went out this evening to fill it and check on Junior, I could find no fawn under the tree, but it could well have been camouflaged, with the bedding of piñon needles and bits of branches, cones and small rocks.

I can only hope that Mama has moved Junior to a safer place where we won't bother them, but Junior will stay safe to grow up into one of the deer that visit us regularly.

May your musings bring you beauty!