Frankly my dear...

I've been wanting to write a post about my love of deers for a while now. I always knew that the title would be "Frankly my dear," but mistakenly believed that it was a line made famous by Humphrey Bogart.

 Clark Gable dissing Vivien Leigh in Gone with the Wind

Oops! 

You learn something new everyday, it seems.

Of the Cervidae family, deer include moose, elk (also known as wapiti), caribou and reindeer (ho ho ho) and have been around for over 35 million years. Their main defenses when attacked by predators include 1) running away and 2) hiding.

Interesting.

Since I always thought it was impossible to have an actual, live deer, I collect every other kind possible. Drawn, painted or sculpted... they're all equally dear to me.

a present from my mom

 painted by yours truly

 a gift from dear friends

Imagine my surprise when I discovered that it was not only possible to have a deer, but that one of my all-time favourite people - Audrey Hepburn - had one.

Audrey and I have always had a special relationship. 

Even though I never met her, her talent, grace and kindness have been inspirations to me since the day I put my very own ballet slippers in the fridge in her honour. 

Breakfast at Tiffany's

There's something about her spirit that has always connected me to her and the quotes I stumbled upon while researching this post have only served to strengthen that connection.

Audrey's deer's name was Pippin but she called him Ip. She got him in 1959 while filming Green Mansions, a movie about a jungle girl  - with a deer - who falls in love with a Venezuelan traveller. 

In order for her and the deer to have good on-screen chemistry, it was suggested that Audrey bring Pippin home. 

So she did. 

And they became fast friends.

If only it was as easy to get a deer as it is to put ballet slippers in the fridge. Sigh.

It seems as if Audrey Hepburn isn't the only person to have a special connection with deers...

   fawning