One of the great unexpected pleasures of life here at 7,300 feet in the Colorado Rocky Mountains has been to witness the endless procession of wildlife that routinely passes through, descends upon, and lives within the Birdhaven Studio Sculpture Garden.

Most prominent of all garden visitors has to be the extended deer family, who tend to regard the sculpture garden as their own, tasty, salad bar.

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“Peas to the left, mint straight ahead, poppies everywhere”.

This young one was going straight for the peas, until instantly alerted to my presence by the click of a shutter.

Those ‘Mule’ ears don’t miss a thing.

Mmmm, peas.

Off through the garden they went.

It was as the deer family were winding their way out through the sculpture garden, and into the field, that a most startling ‘kiss’ from one of the youngsters, to perhaps the youngest of all, was to quite take my breath away; for I have never noticed quite such touching behavior before. If you watched the video above you will perhaps know what I am referring to, but if you haven’t – just take a look. As the intrepid ‘pea eater’ returns to the fold, carefully picking his was between Terrible Lizard and Mabel, there is an endearing moment when the pair lean in together for what can only be described as a lovely, delicate, soft kiss. Perhaps they were simply passing on, and receiving, information via smell, regarding the menu, but it certainly looked like a happy little peck of kiss, to me.

Fifteen winters in succession, and here they are once again. The current mother, who brought here brood here, was herself brought here by her own mother. And so it goes. She knows, it’s safe here; safe and plentiful. Out there on the edge of the garden, she keeps her keen eyes sharp, while her babies nuzzle and nibble from this plant to that, just as she herself did, when she was young.