Out on, you guessed it, a dog walk, I felt that someone was staring at me, then noticed a pair of large ears in the bushes:

This was no ordinary white-tailed deer whose images occasionally appear in my blog. The little surprise from the bushes was the mule kind, and this was the first time that I've encountered one in town.

Normally, I see mule deer up in the mountains while hiking, especially this time of the year, when the snow deemphasizes their camouflage.

I'm uncertain, of course, but I suspect this was an adventurous adolescent that wandered below its typical terrain, yet to be spooked by cars, humans (and bassets!).

And just in case you can't tell, here is a closeup of the above the image, so that could appreciate how ridiculously cute these creatures--with their large eyes, giant eyes, and pudgy cheeks--are!