We live in a very exotic area of the United States, also known as The Middle of Nowhere. I had never lived in the Middle of Nowhere before. Have you? 

Funny things happen in T.M.O.N. Some are actually not so funny (like getting snowed in or driving 30 minutes to the grocery), but some things are pretty cool. Like this…

Are you ready for some major cuteness overload? Meet Boo!

Oh deer! 

How cute is he??? 

Boo walked down our driveway and into our lives last week.

Obviously, he’s been raised by a human or two. Boo has zero fear around us and the carpenters, even though the carpenters are making all sorts of loud noises in an effort to get this house done.

He also has no respect for personal space. He loves to be petted and to lick people’s faces. (I hardly let ZuZu lick my face, so I’m not about to let Boo do it! As you can see below, Bill doesn’t have such qualms!)

I’m a suburb/city girl, so in truth, I was initially cautious around Boo’s cuddliness. The cynic in me worried: Is he suckering me in? Are deer cunning and conniving? Deceitful? Devious? Will he bite? Kick? Or, even, innocently, share his ticks?    

And while I still haven’t quite come to terms with the likelihood of the tick-hopping, I am much more comfortable with everything else. Boo is a sweet, sweet deer. He’s a dear deer. Really! 

On one level, I know he is a wild animal. But at the same time, I don’t know that Boo knows that!

My hope is that this dear deer stays safe from harm. I’m sure the mountains of Tennessee aren’t the easiest place to survive during winter and the hunting season.

And I don’t know how much longer Boo will even want to hang around here. For his safety, I of course want him to stay for, oh, I don’t know? — forever? And maybe even meet the doe of his dreams. But I want Boo to be Boo; so whatever he decides, is fine by me!

Do any of you have any experiences with wild animals that don’t know they’re wild? Any words of wisdom to share? And if you would like to stay updated on Boo’s whereabouts, just let me know!