On being watched

I spent much of the day mowing grass.  Across the lane from where I worked, in a field of clover, wild flowers, and tree saplings, my progress was watched.  First, it was a deer, which stood between two rows of trees, and watched me go back and forth for at least twenty minutes before finally bounding off into the woods at the edge of the field.  I disappeared behind some spruce, and when I came back into view of the field, I looked for it again, to see if it had returned.  It never did, but my eye caught something else laying in the shade of a giant Maple.  A fox now took up the vigil, and watched me work.  After three passes it got up, I think to investigate a mouse running in the clover, only to stop and watch me more closely.  I stopped too, and left the motor running so as not to scare it.  We both stood still and took in the other.  After ten minutes it gave up, and turned to go into the woods.  I kept mowing.  Now I looked for the deer and the fox, and found neither.  But a raven took over their spot, and watched me work.  It lasted longer than I did, and this time it was me who retreated into the house for supper.

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