This past weekend spent at Clearlake, Calif., with some special friends turned out to be a real rescue of two baby deer fawns.

It was about 10 p.m. on a Friday night. The four of us all went to bed. After about an hour had passed, there was this commotion outside our window.

We kind of laughed it off at first as being a couple of possums, or skunks rattling through the bushes. This commotion continued to the point where we all had to investigate as to what was going on in the front yard.

The yard is raised up from the street by a retaining wall. The wall is approximately 5 feet from the ground and is guarded by a 4 foot wrought iron fence with vertical bars set every 6 inches.

Upon reaching the front yard with flashlights in hand, there was two baby fawns stuck in between the vertical bars. They were both hanging through the fence from their rear hips. Because of the height of the wall, there was nothing for the fawns to stand up.

Thoroughly helpless, with Mother Deer standing in street watching, the four of us were trying to free the fawns.

We supported their heads and front part of their bodies and tried to squeeze them through the bars. We tried to bend the bars and shovels and wooden planks to no avail.

Finally after about 15 minutes of trying everything, one of us decided to pull the one fawn back through with support from the person holding the fawn, we were successful and then we pulled the other fawn back and they both bounded out of sight.

All this time, Mother Deer was standing there watching and did not move until the fawns were released to freedom.

We were all so relieved that the two fawns will live another day. The next morning, there, in the back yard was Mother Deer and the two fawns just staring up at us on the raised deck. They just stood there for about 5 minutes and then just walked on to their home in Clearlake.

This real life experience was very special to us and we wanted to share this successful rescue with the Clearlake community.

Clifford and Paula Strother are owners of a home in Clearlake, Calif. Their permanent home is in Santa Rosa, Calif. John and Connie Halpenny reside in Elk Grove, Calif. The Halpennys were visiting the Strother vacation home at the time of the fawn rescue.