Some of the deer in our backyard have put on their winter clothes. They’re now dressed in a more muted grayish brown, while their companions are still modeling the reddish brown hues of summer.

When it’s hot out only the smallest foals brave the daytime heat of our open field of a backyard. We usually only spot deer early in the morning or in the evening. This time of year, you can look out there just about any time of day and spot some deer.

During the summer months they travel in smaller groups, but as the air starts to cool their ranks swell. The crowd of deer munching on their dinner of grass seems to grow a little bigger each day.

The internet informs me there is no single preferred collective noun for a group of deer. A herd of deer is the top contender. Other terms used to refer to several deer are bevy, brace, bunch, gang, leash, mob, parcel and rangale. We sometimes refer to them as a clump of deer.

The deer aren’t the only ones changing their clothes for the fall. Sweatshirts and jeans are making a reappearance after months of lying untouched. The other night we fired up the fire pit and toasted some marshmallows.

Some of our backyard birds head south for the winter, though a lot of them stick it out through the colder months as our winters tend to be relatively mild. The robins we watched grow up over the summer will likely stick around through the winter.

There’s a great blue heron who frequents a pond in the woods behind our house, and occasionally we see it flying overhead, but last week we got a treat when he decided to land in the backyard (about where those deer are in the top picture above.) There is a small creek that runs through where those trees at the left are. So perhaps the heron was hoping to catch a tasty little fish or frog in there. We do often see some of the neighbors’ free-roaming cats in that spot stalking field mice or other small rodents. Maybe one of those little critters was what caught the heron’s attention. I regret to inform you that I didn’t snap a picture of that most pterodactyl-looking bird before it flew off.

As I write this it’s gotten warmer out, and the backyard deer have decamped for the shade of the woods, but I’m sure they will return once the sun dips behind the mountain.

I hope you and your local wild friends are enjoying some slightly cooler weather as well!

— Alissa

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Weekly Inspiration

What I’m Reading: Bernie’s Substack

What I’m Watching: The Bear

What I’m Listening to: “James K. Polk” – They Might Be Giants

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Find out more about my books at alissagrosso.com

Find out more about my digital art at alissacarin.com

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My apologies for the typos and such this post is almost certainly riddled with.