This morning when I was out with Tucker (the dog) this deer got his attention. Tucker stood still and stared at the deer, and the deer stood still, while slow-motion lifting his front left leg up and down to softly stomp his hoof on the leaves.

I thought Tucker was set to go after the deer, but Tucker just stood and continued to stare. I talked softly to Tucker, telling him that he would lose any chase with the deer through the woods, so why not just get to know each other?

Then I began to think they already knew each other – vaguely, vaguely.

Because besides all the obvious similarities – four legs on the ground, two ears in the air, fur on their surface – there were many more subtle similarities.

Black noses for instance.

And the fur on both their undersides is white – even the front of the upper rear leg is white on both. This coloration pattern is so similar it is uncanny…

And they both lift their tails over their backs.

Not very much variation in DNA here at all.

After 3 or 4 minutes the deer walked off one way and Tucker and I walked off the other.

Which reminds me of Thanksgiving…

Garrison Keiler usually has a Prairie Home Companion show around Thanksgiving. And often the Thanksgiving Lake Woebegon story revolves around distant relatives and their once-every-few-years awkwardness when they come face to face over a meal.

Today, when you meet your families’ friends and relatives, who will you sit next to while you share food and story? Will you sit with the ones you know most, or will you make - what seems like an effort -and intentionally sit with those you know least? After all, you may never see some of these people again….

And why does it seem to be an effort to converse with relatives?

There’s usually a little bit of competition between families – perhaps between the stability of their marital relationships, perhaps between the stability of bank accounts, or where the kids are going to college. And rather than discuss these things at all, its seems easier to just sit next to the people you already know.

And then turn on the game.