Oh deer...

I was reaching the top of the stairs that lead from the Richards Building to the rest of campus when a deer walked right in front of me. She trotted off onto the grass to the left and started lounging around and trimming the lawn. With her mouth. So what if it was the middle of campus, broad daylight, with people walking around? She didn't care. She's a deer. She can do what she likes.

Well, I'm a human, and I can do what I like too. So I whipped out my little point-and-shoot before going on my way.

I saw a deer right along that same RB staircase earlier this week. I'll bet you it was the same deer. She's very daring! And it's not the first time I've witnessed deer on campus - at some point during this past year, I was walking to class in the early morning and a herd of about 7-9 of them rushed right past me and thundered right by the library and off to the west side of campus. Silly deer.

I suppose that's one of the perks of living in Happy Valley. You aren't considered a small-town mountain person because this area is filled with people and shopping centers and other facilities... and yet you have deer running right by you, raccoons chilling out in your parking lot (Doug got really excited when we saw those) and even some cougars lurking in the mountains to the east. Fortunately, no cougars ever come running through campus. Except Cosmo the Cougar, but he just break dances and does back-flips.

Besides... I get a view like this whenever I look out our window.

The look awesome during fall when the trees turn red and orange. And in winter when they're capped with snow. Doug and I might go hiking around these mountains very soon because I just bought new tennis shoes today. As long as we go in the morning or at night when it's not 100 degrees...