I was walking to the ICA this morning and had reached the pedestrian bridge when a deer appeared. It had come from the grassy banks of the river on the ICA side and was walking, slowly across the bridge from the opposite direction to me. I stopped and watched as it approached me. The deer also stopped and looked at me.
It appeared to be a young deer, though my knowledge of ungulate ageing is minimal at best. It was maybe curious as to what I was with my hat, trolley and walking stick. Not to mention the big white beard.
The animal must have decided I wasn’t a threat and continued walking towards and by me. The soft clop of its hooves echoed behind me as it continued the crossing. I smiled and did likewise. Without the clopping.
This wasn’t my only experience with animals today.
While Mirinda was feeding the birds in the front garden, I heard a commotion in the lounge. I was in the kitchen and looked into the room. A small bird, possibly a young finch, was fretting away, bashing the window in an effort to escape.
I sidled over to the windows and opened them wide. The door was open but the poor fluttering thing had managed to get stuck in a corner. I made sympathetic and hopefully calming sounds as I slowly approached it. I’m sure it was just frozen in fear but, it let me, gently pick it up.
As I carried it outside, the poor little thing was shivering. As I released it, I told Mirinda to keep her charges in the garden. She smiled as the bird flew into the sky.
Then, to round off the day nicely, I was in my study when Emma suddenly started going off. I went to see what she was annoyed at. In the glass room was the Jack Russell that Freya had her eye on the other day. I looked up to the road but his owner was nowhere to be seen.
He was quite happily wandering around, tail wagging at Emma as she barked enthusiastically from the other side of the window.
I picked Emma up and shut her away in Mirinda’s study. I then grabbed a spare lead and clipped it to the dog’s collar. He had no tag, which I found interesting. We walked out to the road together. He was more than happy to be led. I must admit that I called him Jack as we walked. Given he’s a Swedish dog, he probably didn’t understand a word I said.
As we reached the end of our drive, his owner appeared at the top of the road, on a bicycle. As he reached me he unnecessarily explained that the dog had escaped. I said it was fine and that he’d obviously fancied spending some time with our girls. Especially given Freya and her season, which continues unabated.
He took Jack and left, happier than when I’d first seen him. I watched, happy with the day’s animal work.
And, as a side note, I didn’t see Jason today. He went to Stockholm to see some friends and didn’t come home until well past my bedtime. He missed out on my saffron lamb shanks

The only animal I didn’t chat to, today.
Not like milliways….