Do not expect to see a curled up baby fawn in this blog.

I dialed up the Universe this morning.

They put me through to the Divine Operator right away.

“Hey!  How you doing?” I inquired politely.  “Say, any chance of arranging for me to see a curled up baby fawn today?  Please?  Please?  Can you arrange for this to happen?”

The Divine Operator–I’m sure–recorded it faithfully in the Appointment Book of Life and–I’m sure–nodded in agreement, although I couldn’t hear any words because of static interference.

But I started out on my 1.5 mile walk with great excitement.  The fawn would appear.  It has appeared at least a half-dozen times over the years alongside the road.  Today would be the day.  It had to be.

Dead bird...probably struck fast-moving vehicle

Instead, instead…wait!  What’s that on the road?  It’s too small to be our fawn.  It’s…oh no…another dead bird. 

Poor thing.  Struck by a car, I’m sure.

I picked it up and tenderly arranged for a more fitting burial spot among some greenery.

Still waiting for the aforementioned curled up baby fawn to present itself.  The Universe would comply.

This blog has featured so many dead birds that someone will suggest to rename it:  deadbirdblog.wordpress.com.  No one has registered that name yet. 

So, let’s walk a little further…

Slooooowwwww moving caterpillar

Caterpillar!  Look at that furry fuzzy caterpillar!  It’s aiming to get off the road so it doesn’t become another statistic, like that bird.  C’mon, caterpillar, hurry up.  Do you need help getting to the shoulder?

No?  You don’t?  OK, you’re almost there.  Phew.  You made it.  Hey, fella, do you know where the baby fawns are around here?

Even slower moving leaf floating in mud puddle

We’re  half-way home now.  It’s starting to dawn on you…perhaps you won’t…see…the…fawn….today.  Or perhaps it’s waiting back at the house, curled up behind the garage.

What happened to that phone call to the Universe?  You remember the time you were walking down the road–maybe a couple of years ago–and thought rather insistently, “NOW I really would like to see a bear!”  And you arrived at home and within the hour there was a mama bear and two cubs playing in the ravine behind the house.  The cubs climbed a tall, tall tree and hung out up there in the canopy for at least fifteen minutes.

So where is the curled up baby fawn? 

It’s not for yourself, you remind the Universe, just in case the Universe isn’t busy with something Really Important.  It’s for the blog readers.  You’ve seen curled up fawns before.  OK, you haven’t photographed them before because you didn’t believe in cameras back then.  But you’ve seen ’em.  You really don’t need to see ’em.  It’s for the Others.  Those who have never seen a curled up baby fawn…

Oh look what a nice day it is for a walk!

The Universe remains definitively silent.  Not even a rustle in the grass.

What a beautiful day for a walk! 

When suddenly you hear–do you all hear it?–THUNDER in the distance!  And the pitter pat of raindrops falling. 

What do you say?  Shall we run the rest of the way home?

Oh no! Rain clouds approaching quickly from behind. Walk faster now toward home!

Feet flapping against the pavement–you’d scare a little fawn to death if she heard you coming now!  Run, run!  Let’s beat the rain home.

We’ll see a curled up baby fawn another day.  We will.  The Universe simply forgot to put it in the Day Planner.  Or maybe absent-mindedly scheduled it for another day.  We will see it.  We will.

A fork. Just because.

As for this fork, dear reader, I am waiting eagerly with you to see what words come out explaining its appearance in this blog.   It belongs in another blog, doesn’t it?  One that had to do with eating, meals out, restaurants.  And here it is sitting squarely in the middle of a blog insisting that you won’t see curled up baby fawns.

I know.  This is the story.  There comes a moment in life when a fork appears in the road.  You must choose one direction or another.  You must choose to go left or right.  You must choose to stay home or…go downstate to visit your mom and dad and brothers and sister-in-laws and nieces and nephews! 

So guess what I’m doing tomorrow?  You are so right!  Traveling downstate to visit all my family for a week.  So stay tuned for adventures in Bellaire and Yale and other exciting spots which present themselves!

And you know what’s going to happen, don’t you?  Somewhere along the way will lie a curled up baby fawn.  One who lies complacently wanting its picture taken.  I’m sure.  Don’t you think?