It was an autumn morning in 2005 when our dog Cha Cha spotted a deer on the south side of our rural Muscatine home. The deer made eye contact with Cha Cha for a very short time, just long enough for me to capture the moment with my digital camera.

Having deer walk through our property is not a rare event. It is one of many joyous facets of Iowa rural living. Cha Cha often sits by the window watching the wildlife. What is not common is having these two adversaries just freeze where they are and stare each other down long enough for me to reach for my camera.

The beauty of this moment was capturing this peaceful encounter. It emphasizes our close proximity to wildlife and is another reminder that we must share the land if we desire to continue experiencing the joys of nature.