Thursday, June 21, 2007

Nature at its sweetest

(Posted by Paula)

My office at Sewanee in the Thompson Union looks over onto a wooded area at the back of the building. My view is extraordinary...the wildlife, the large trees, the beautiful walking trail that curls through the woods and disappears into the trees and growth a little way from the building. In the winter, the snow clings to the trees in an enchantment of white, and in the summer, wildflowers bloom along the path and the side of the old stone building that houses my department. It's common for me to see chipmunks, squirrels, and deer on a daily basis.

I've noticed a doe hanging outside my window for several days, and today as I was watching her, a baby stepped out from the foliage into the clearing beside her. Still a little wobbly on his legs, he allowed his mama to clean him a bit while he nursed, but mama was very aware of me in the window and kept a close eye on me as she went about her motherly duties. I called my assistant, Diane, on the telephone to come see, and soon enough word got around the office about the baby. My office hosted a parade of onlookers come to see him, and he's attracted quite a fan base. We've decided we need to name him. Diane wants to name him "Freckles." Shelly votes for "Union" while David wants to call him 'Joel." Despite what we end up calling him, we just hope that his mama will keep him around Thompson Union long enough for us to see him grow a little! We already feel like surrogate parents to the little guy!

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