Dog owners who stare into their pet’s eyes experience a rapid increase in oxytocin-a neuropeptide involved in attachment and bonding. Exchanging gazes full of empathy and trust, we enjoy a special relationship with the dog. — Frans de Waal, Dutch Primatologist, Emory University

What sets humans apart from animals is that we have to walk around saying how smart we are, and animals just live their lives. — Chancletinyea J. J. Ouellette, poet and author

Out from a wooded area three deer walked across a large field. I stopped and watched them nibble on the dry grass. They looked healthy enough and were certainly alert. As I stepped closer to the window from 300 yards away each deer raised its head and looked at me with those deep brown eyes. They didn’t hurry but slowly eased back into the woods. I like to call the deer the three amigos. They are possibly even triplets as they are the same size and travel together. I like to think so even if they are not. There are days early in the morning when the three come to the birdfeeders. They lick at the feeder and jostle it a bit until some seeds hit the ground. I commented once, wondering how a deer could get much nourishment from a bit of seed. My friend suggested the seed is perhaps a snack. Maybe so.

Animals are smart in so many ways. As I near my home there are cattle farms on each side of the road. The last few weeks while temperatures hovered in the high 90s and heat indexes to 100, I noticed the cows migrated to the shade of a grove of trees where they settled down to the ground. Only after the sun sank slowly on the horizon did the cows move up and out for grazing.

Animals avoiding the sun reminded me of Jack Reese, a former neighbor in the Sessums Community. The local volunteer fire department hosted a fish fry fundraiser at the old one room schoolhouse. Jack was outside sitting at a small table collecting money and selling tickets. At his feet was his dog. The sun bared down and perspiration soaked his shirt. Then the dog got up and moved under the shade of a nearby tree. Jack looked at the dog, then his shirt. He picked up the table and carried it under the tree where he said, “I don’t want anyone to think that dog is smarter than me.”

I feel the same way about my ability to trap the critters that raid the recycle bags. As we ended last week’s column the traps were set and baited but no critters. On the third night at nightfall, I flipped on the outside light only to see a possum easing away and crossing over the deck. My lack of patience caused me to lose the possum.

The next morning, I went to check the traps again. A raccoon was at the side of the trap reaching his hand through the wire and pulling the bait out through the wire. At the sight of me, he scurried away. Again, a critter had out smarted me. Later when I returned from my morning chores, the raccoon had returned and was now inside the trap that had triggered. Sam released the raccoon from the trap and into the Prairie relocation program.

The following day lying beside the recycle bag was a cottage cheese carton and Gatorade bottle.

Shannon Bardwell is a writer living quietly in the Prairie. Email reaches her at [email protected].