By CHRIS PARKER

cparker@tnonline.comIt's a perfect Friday afternoon, and my beloved and I are sitting in rocking chairs on our front porch, taking a break from mowing, mulching and weeding.As we sip water and chat, what we at first think is a small dog comes bounding through the shrubs from the fields and meadow to our right.As the animal leaps into the space between the bridal wreath bush and the coal shed, we see that it is a fawn, its multitude of white spots standing out against its tawny coat.The fawn romps past us, not 15 feet from where we sit. Stunned at the surprise gift of such beauty and innocence, we are transfixed, not even thinking to grab our phones to get a picture.Seconds later, the little guy is frolicking away down the driveway. We sit quietly, still awed. A few minutes later, as we worry that the baby is lost, his mother steps out into a clearing, looks at us, and then wheels away to join her baby.We watch as they head off through the field, the fawn trotting awkwardly along behind his mother.We live in the country, our old farmhouse surrounded by woods, fields and wetlands. Wildlife abounds, up close and personal. The night before, a bear broke into a trash can, pulling out a big bag of packing peanuts. He dragged the bag about 20 feet away, tore it open, and was undoubtedly disappointed to find the foam nuggets, which by dawn had been scattered over an area wide enough to make cleanup an invective-producing chore.On occasion, we find evidence of raccoons. The water dish we put out for a cat who decided to come live on our porch, but who refuses to come inside, is often half-empty and muddied in the morning. Raccoons like to dunk their food in water. They also love shiny things. The small gazing ball I had placed in one backyard garden went missing, as have a bright plastic hubcap left beside a car and a decorative pinwheel.Because wild animals are just that, our three cats stay indoors. There, they keep watch from the safety of the house, warning off intruders by way of fluffed-out tails, hissing, spitting and other demonstrations of feline drama.It must work: Not one bear or deer or skunk has ever broken into the house.Bird feeders hang outside three upstairs windows. They are placed there to keep them safe from hungry bears. A variety of seeds and suet attracts rosy-breasted grosbeaks, finches, sparrows, cardinals, nuthatches and woodpeckers.For the cats, and for us, nature is an entertainment system that never needs canned laughter, contrived plots or batteries.