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Dear Editor;
Since we're "promised" a dusting of snow, decided it's not too early to talk about reindeer "a symbol of the season that reflects both magic and meaning" according to Thistle Hill (2001).
Reindeer are survivors enduring at least 750,000 years
Reindeer are strong, able to carry their own weight of 300 pounds
Reindeer are known for their endurance even in difficult circumstances
Reindeer are gregarious, preferring herds to isolation
Reindeer are protective, circling a threatened calf with antlers outward
Reindeer are adaptable, working with humans or in the wild
Reindeer eat seasonally, from grasses and flowers to lichen in winter
Reindeer calves are very precocious and are loyal to their mothers
Reindeer are coequal, both males and females have antlers
Reindeer love winter, their hooves shaped to dig and walk in snow and ice
Reindeer are curious and are intrigued by strange behavior
Eileen Z. Fitzsimons
Dodgeville, WI