We had always smiled and rolled our eyes whenever we passed by the ‘deer crossing’ sign on Gallagher Hill.  Perhaps someone was guilty of wishful thinking or had a rather wild imagination. We have lived here for 38 years and have never seen a deer. Then, on Sunday morning, Nov. 2, I heard calls in the ravine that edges our house. A man and his son were chasing after their dog who, they said, had been spooked by a deer — yeah, right, I thought, and continued on my way. But that afternoon, while watching the Seahawks game, I looked into the back yard, and there, to my utter amazement, stood three does and a four-point buck eating apple tree leaves and winter strawberries and drinking from the garden fountain. What a spectacular sight. What a lovely gift! They stayed for a while, came back toward evening, and the buck appeared again on Monday. We’ll take those ‘deer crossing’ signs more seriously from now on. I hope they visit us again soon.

-Dan and Bonnie Sullivan