Never Too Late to Learn

   Perhaps I am just a trivia buff or one who likes to learn stuff. I like new information, especially that which has escaped me, and that I should know for some reason.

   Yesterday, late in the afternoon, Mayre and I took a little drive down to our church because, with all the rain we have had lately, the resurrection fern had come out green on a lot of the live oak branches, and I wanted to get some shots. (Aside: this resurrection fern is one of a line of plants that lies dormant through the dry season, looking like it is dead, but then comes out a bright green when we get a little rain. A subject for another blog, I'm sure).

   I took several shots of the fern, the flowers, the turtles, the church and whatever else looked colorful or interesting. Finishing there, I thought, "why not take a look at the area behind the church that faces the marsh". This area faces east toward Sea Island and offers some great marsh views, especially at sunrise.

   While driving through this area, I spotted a deer coming through a hedge line right near the marsh. Hoping to get some shots, I eased out of the car and moved toward where I though he would emerge. Not only one deer appeared, but three, moving along that marsh line.

   Now, we are blessed with a lot of deer on our Island, so it is not unusual to see them at night all over the place, but these were big deer, larger than our usual sightings, and it was still day, so I followed as close as they would let me.

   They moved into the marsh area and began to feed on the bushes and grasses. Every once in a while, one would poke his/her head up to see what that human was up to. I did not have a zoom lens with any great power, so I got as close as I could without spooking them, and took what shots they gave me.

   They did not seem inclined to move, so, after a period of time and several shots, I retreated to the car and left them to their supper.

   Just as we were about to take the elevator up to our condo, the door opened and out stepped our neighbor from down the hall. Seeing the camera bag on my shoulder, he commented on it and asked if I gotten any good shots. I explained about the deer, and he replied with two words, "Fallow Deer". I thought what are those, and he explained that it was a European species that had been brought over to Little St. Simons, a small island north east of ours. Some had swum the river separating the two bodies of land, and now we had a population of them over here.

   I should have known that. We have been here for almost 20 years, and I had probably seen them but not paid enough attention to separate them from our other deer, the white tailed kind.

   So I learned something new and came home and looked up more information on the Internet. There they were, just like I had seen.

   They had been here all the time. I had probably seen them several times without knowing what I was observing, living in ignorance of the true facts right in front of my eyes.

   I'm sure there is a lesson in all of this.

   It could be: Keep your eyes open and look around you, or maybe just:

   It is never too late to learn....