Year of the Deer 鹿 年 My deer streak is still alive. I saw one today while trail jogging and another one last Sunday while hiking. Both of them ran away so quickly through the brush that I only saw them for a few seconds. With all the deer that I have seen this year, this year should be 鹿 年 luk6 lin4 (year of the deer) not 雞 年 gai1 lin4 (year of the rooster).

Some of my best animal memories are from the years that I spent as a young attorney in Redding, about 215 miles (350 km.) north of San Francisco. One time near sunset, as I was driving home from a court appearance in Alturas, I saw a migratory herd of wild deer (probably 50-100) running in a line near the side of the road. It’s a special feeling to see such a large herd and to experience the grandeur of nature in a wild, unspoiled condition. Another time near dawn, I was driving to a deposition (someone else’s, not mine) in Susanville in the middle of winter. The landscape was blanketed with heavy snow on both sides of the road. Suddenly, as I reached an open area, I noticed three pronghorn antelope approaching me through the snow. In few seconds, they were gone. That's the only time I have ever seen antelope, but I always will remember their gracefulness as they moved through the newly-fallen snow, blending in almost perfectly with it.

In 2001, when I was in Hong Kong, I took a hike with a group to 牌 額 西 坑 Pai Ngak West Stream in the 西 貢 Sai Kung area. One of the group was a botanist they called 靓 仔. As we hiked up the dry streambed and along various trails, 靓 仔 collected samples of all kinds of weird plants. When I go hiking next year in Hong Kong, I will be watching closely for animals. Judging from some online information, I will not be able to see deer, but with luck I may be able to see some wild cats, monkeys, Chinese porcupines, wild boars, squirrels, and bats.  ¶ 9:00 PM