Deer in Berkeley

I know I still need to update last week, but instead, I have a weird little anecdote:
So, tonight, it's almost 12:30pm I suppose...I go onto my mini-balcony to smoke the last cigarette of the night. Its quiet on my street. The occasional car passes during the day, but at night, it's really dead. I think I've mentioned that I live up in the hilly part of Berkeley; probably less than half a mile away are no houses, because I suppose it's too steep or just not livable at the top of the hill. (note: if you could find a grader at a decent rate to make some of that land inhabitable, it'd be the most choice real estate in the county of Alameda.) In any case, I'm outside in a very quiet neighborhood and I hear something. Walking. My neighbor to the south has a tree with a lot of leaves that obstruct my view of the road somewhat, so I see something walking down the middle of the street. It looks like a dog...a big dog. From the coloring through the leaves, I'm thinking huge German Shepherd. Who let's that kind of dog roam about? Does it have rabies? I re-read To Kill a Mockingbird lately and remember vividly the dog with rabies that walked straight down the street.

Of course, the tree doesn't span forever, so eventually this creature comes into my view and lo and behold, it's a deer. A smallish one, obviously female. She doesn't know I'm there. Then I hear the clip clop of her hoofs on the pavement. She's walking straight and with a purpose. Then I hear more clip clops. There is a fawn behind her about 15 yards. And then another one scurries up to the first fawn. What are three deer doing walking down the street like they own it? I did readjust my sitting position at one point, and the second fawn heard me and paused for a moment. I was sure not to make any more sounds so that mama deer could continue assessing the situation. I don't know deer very well, but I assume she's doing what any good mother would do and that is: find a way home. or at least to the woods. LeRoy Ave. is not a good place for a mother deer and two babies. However she got off track, I hope she finds her way home without incident.

I watched her disappear around what must have been to her 'yet another corner' and wondered if she appreciated the beauty of this part of the world as much as I do.