I see no roses on the hedge that fronts the corner house right now, and the deer probably found the lack disappointing, given that roses are among their favorite snacks. Or perhaps they had already eaten them before coming to my yard. But after nosing around for a minute or two, the deer did a brief bit of frolic on the lawn and then jumped the fence into the back yard. The fence is about five feet high, but even the young buck made the leap with ample clearance. They might have found plenty to graze on there, as the house has been vacant since last spring, and even though a gardener keeps the front yard tidy he doesn't spend much time behind the fence, so I'd imagine there is quite a bit of growth back there.
Something else they might find in that yard is Portia. She took off about an hour ago, and that yard is her favorite stomping ground (though perhaps stomping is not the right word to use for a cat. Padding ground?) Portia has seen deer before, of course, and I'm not sure she entirely approves of them. In fact, none of my cats has ever entirely approved of deer, but they've all been fascinated by them. When Dude was not yet full grown, he once jumped the back fence to stalk a buck who was one of a small herd grazing in the neighbor's yard. What Dude expected to do if he caught it, I don't know. But if Portia returns this evening with a chunk of venison in her mouth, I'm going to be far more wary of her henceforth.
