Cove

Hubby and I finished biking Virginia's New River Trail State Park yesterday. A total of 119 miles. Through the summer we section-biked both directions of the trail (plus a side leg). It took us seven trips.

On our last three or four trips we've seen does with their fawns. Sometimes while biking the trail, other times while driving the back country mountain roads. Yesterday as we were biking our final 1-1/2 miles Hubby said, "I hope we see a fawn." He paused and added, "And a groundhog."

Groundhogs have provided some fun sightings this spring and summer. I've observed a baby groundhog become a young adult along the Mt. Airy Greenway. First time I saw him (Or her. I don't know which, but I'm gonna use the masculine.) he was a toddler inspecting life. I sighted him right beside the Greenway and Mom on the other side a few hundred feet away. I braked Olivia beside Babyhog and stood, a leg on each side of Olivia's top-tube (which is the technical name for the mid-bar). Babyhog didn't run; he hadn't learned that caution yet. We just stared at each other for a few moments. Then he slowly turned around and waddled away. I've see Babyhog twice since then. He's gotten bigger each time. I'm sure it was Babyhog due to his growth, and we were in the same area on the Greenway. Those two times, he ran when he sighted me.

Within a minute or two of Hubby's request, we sighted a fawn up ahead. We rode out of a wooded area into an area with a few houses with large yards between the trail and the river. As we slowed our speed, approaching the fawn, she didn't run away.

I whispered aloud, "Why isn't he running away?" (I found out later "he" was a "she.")  "I wonder where Momma is? She must be close by."

We stopped our bikes a couple yards away from the fawn and watched in wonderment, because she wasn't retreating.

An elderly man drove up in a four-wheeler from one of the houses. "Git on home now. Come on." He was talking to the fawn.

I looked at the man with curiosity in my eyes. I don't recall if I asked him a question, but he answered anyway, "Her name is Cove. My grandson rescued her from the river. Her momma drowned."

"Wow!"

"She follows the dogs around. Sometimes she thinks she's a dog." he added with a chuckle.

Grandpa's adult son came out of the house next to Grandpa's. The four of us and Cove spent the next twenty minutes visiting.

Cove was probably only a couple days old when they found her. She's about 3-1/2 months old now. They fed and are still feeding her goat milk from a bottle. She's added grass, clover, and local foliage to her menu. Most of the time she sleeps in the son's house, on the floor, in the bedroom. Other times she'll bed down wherever the two labs decide to sleep, except when they sleep on the porch. Cove always sleeps inside, for now.

I tried to pet Cove, but she would have none of that. The hands that feed her though didn't cause her a flinch.

Toward the end of our visit three elementary-age children came running up the lawn, They stopped to hug and greet Cove and then, continuing their frolic, shouted, "Come on Cove!" She joined right in. Running and jumping. It was like watching a scene from a fairy tale. Pure, innocent delight. They are Cove's family. A few minutes later the two labs joined for a moment of play.

Hubby and I said our goodbyes and thank yous and headed up the trail with pure delight. It's contagious.

Hubby was riding in front of me and had stopped on the far side of our final bridge. He was looking down to his left. He motioned me to slow down. I quietly slowed and came to a stop wondering if he'd spotted a groundhog.

Nope. It was a bunny rabbit who crossed the trail in front of Hubby and had stopped on the other side. John and Bunny were looking at each other. Bunny didn't run when I stopped and joined the eye conversation.

As we rode away Hubby said,"Well, it wasn't a ground hog. But close enough."

Sometimes I live in a storybook.

Cove watches biker

Cove observes our approach

Cove inspects Bicycle Olivia

Cove inspects Bicycle Pete

Me and Cove

"Let's play!"

"Weeee!"

"Away we go!"