Deer in the Yard on a Late Summer Afternoon

We had some visitors at the end of August. I was looking out into the trees and saw a deer step out from the shade into a sunny patch of brush. A second one followed a moment later. They didn't seem to be in any hurry, just browsing quietly among the pines for a while before moving on.

It's always a nice, quiet interruption to the day when they pass through so close to the house. The rest of the afternoon was just as calm.

Later, I sat out on the patio as the sun started to get lower. It was warm enough to be barefoot, just watching the sprinklers on the lawn and looking up at the sky. It was one of those perfect, clear-skied Tahoe days that feels like the height of summer, even though you know the season is about to shift. Just a simple day at home.