There's this deer that has taken up residence on my property. Given that I have a data center or two going up on my street, I have a lot of new wildlife on my property, but this particular deer is the most prominent new tenant.
I've seen her here and there in passing, but over the last couple of weeks, she's become increasingly present... and brave.
One morning over the weekend, I was walking out to my little farmyard, and I wasn't really paying any attention. When I looked up, she was drinking water from my ducks' kiddie pool. We startled each other, and she ran behind my barn to the old blueberry patch. There are some tall weeds and brush a few feet from my ducks' pen, and when I let them out for some free time while I did yardwork, I noticed they kept peering into it but keeping their distance. Normally, they'd go root around in it for slugs and grubs.
I'd wrestled a five or so-foot rat snake out of their pen a few weeks ago and sent it in that direction, so I wondered if it had come back, but a few minutes later, I knew exactly what they were seeing. Out of the brush came a tiny fawn. Her mother came to greet her. The ducks were looking like what the heck is going on around here? I managed to snap a picture of this sweet moment happening just feet away from me.
Hanging out in my backyard this morning. 😍 pic.twitter.com/2JwbfeqLXl
— SarahDownSouth (@SarahDownSouth) June 28, 2026
I'd planned to come back inside and work that day — I had a lot to say about the Venezuelan earthquakes and a Cuba update — but I couldn't mange to do it, as I was having so much fun just watching this doe and her baby and just kind of getting lost in nature. As a matter of fact, I ended up staying outside for most of the day, working on my pool, messing around in the garden, cutting grass, letting my animals have some supervised free time, and just soaking up the sunny, 90-degree weather.
That's when it occurred to me that life would probably be a lot nicer if adults got summer breaks just like we did when we were kids. No work, little responsibility — just swimming until your fingers look like raisins, finishing a book in one day, getting lost in the garden with no other tasks hanging over your head, getting on a boat, going on a road trip, taking the backroads, floating on a lake, going fishing, chilling at a beach, chasing fireflies, grilling burgers or eating barbecue, having sleepovers, spending so much time with friends that you start to get sick of each other, staying up late watching movies, riding bikes, eating ice cream... enjoying life again.
Of course, that's not realistic. I know. We have bills to pay. Jobs to do. Kids to raise. Parents to help. Homes to maintain. Deadlines to meet.
I'm not even sure kids have those kinds of summers anymore. Many of my friends have young children, and even those who don't work full-time are constantly rushing their kids off to camp, practice, or lessons; parking them in front of some kind of screen; or planning activities for every day of their school breaks. Their summers are just as scheduled and micromanaged as the rest of the year.
But there is a concept I was reading about called a "feral summer" that many parents are implementing these days. It's a trend that embraces allowing our kids to have the same types of summers we did back in the 1980s and 1990s. A feral summer is unstructured and carefree. Bedtimes, screens, and tight schedules are kept to a minimum. The result is that kids are much less stressed and anxious and more resilient and creative. It builds confidence and independence, and it can even strengthen parts of the brain that help with memory, decision-making, and planning.
I just happen to think that's something we can all benefit from, not just children — and even if we can't embrace it fully.
I know I'm lucky enough to have a job that is flexible and allows me to do more of that than most can, but I think that we should all find time this summer, whether it's a few hours, a few days, or even a few weeks, to just let ourselves do what comes natural (assuming it's legal) and enjoy it. Let your hair down. Do that wild and crazy thing you've been thinking about doing. Start that new hobby. It doesn't have to be expensive or exotic. It can be as simple as staying outside a little longer and working in your garden or watching the wildlife.
Ditch the hustle-culture in which we live for a moment, and see where it takes you.
