If anyone had ever told me that I could stand in the midst of a herd of deer, some so close to me that I could reach out and pet them, I would not have believed it. But I did just that thing today and the experience was so surreal that I am still in awe of it. I am not normally a naturalist. I love the outdoors in very controlled doses. Wild creatures, dirt, bugs and things that fly about don’t typically give me any warm and fuzzy feelings. But I like looking at most wild animals from safe distances back and I abhor cruelty of any kind if it’s inflicted upon a defenseless creature with wings, fur, or gills. Today though I met a woman who has taken animal rescue to a whole other level. She lives alone on a two-acre stretch of land. Her back yard has become a sanctuary to some sixty-plus deer of assorted sizes and shapes. She started feeding them back in 1986. Back then there were only three. Their family has grown substantially over the years. They feed twice daily at seven-thirty in th