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 Yesterday I went to Bushy Park, in Teddington.  It is a lovely large Royal Park where anyone can go, free of charge.  There are deer who live there. 

As I got out of my car I noticed there was a new herd of young deer hovering around the Leg of Mutton Pond.  Most of them decided to cross over a wooden bridge to the other side of a stream that flowed into the pond..  They had that air that young children have.  The whole world was new and they looked wide-eyed at the world around them.  They clearly had very little experience and they were gathering experience every minute - as it happened. 

Three of them were a little nervous of crossing the bridge and they started walking along this side of the stream but something blocked their way.  They dithered.  They did not know how deep the water was in the stream - but they could see the rest of their herd munching away on the other side.  All of a sudden  one of them bravely risked it.  He plunged into the stream - which was deeper than he thought it might be  - and he took another leap from the stream up onto the bank. It all made a lot of noise.  He was shocked by his daring and he was soaking wet - but alive.   He careered around  shaking himself wildly as he joined the group on the other side. 

The other two dithered.  They were not at all keen on experiencing what their foolhardy friend had just experienced - even if he was now with the rest of the herd.  They dithered.  They dithered.  Then both together they managed to turn themselves around in the tight corner they were in and decided that the wooden bridge was a better deal after all.   Though there was a bad-tempered swan hovering around and enjoying intimidating young deer as they approached  this bridge.  They got to it and negotiated it with its slatted planks.  They couldn't run even though she was scaring them because they might just catch their hooves in between  two of the slats if they hurried. 

With relieve they managed to get past the swan and over the bridge and at last join the herd they knew they would feel safer munching alongside.

i made my way to a bench and continued to experience more of life's adventures happening in and around the Leg of Mutton Pond  in Bushy Park.