This evening DH decided to call it quits early. Tomorrow he will have to take the trash down the drive, so it means that he will need to be up earlier than his usual 4:30 a.m. He organized some of the recyclables and walked the dog. On his way in, he commented that they had startled deer in the back yard.
\nOnce you’ve startled the deer, there’s no point in looking for them. They sprint and bound and take off hither and yon. They are a joy to see, when you can catch a glimpse of them.
\nSo, I walked down the hallway to the bedroom, intending to turn back the covers, and the door to the guest room was open. It looks out over the south lawn, and there was one of the deer, standing as still as a statue. I moved so the light from the kitchen was not behind me. I stood and watched that deer for some time, and it never moved. I slipped out of the guestroom and into my bedroom, finished turning back the covers, and looked once more. The deer was still there, checking to make sure that it was safe for the herd to follow.<\/p>\n
\nWe used to have large herds visit here during the winter. We live on a path that connects several preserves that had abundant herds of deer. Unfortunately, the Federal government decided that the herds had grown to a size where the animal health couldn’t be maintained. It was determined, without any input from the local residents, that the herds would be culled. It’s my understanding that they destroyed 300 deer a year for at least three years. I don’t know just how many deer they killed, but we rarely see more than three or four deer at a time now, and their visits are less frequent. I know the seed on the ground below our bird feeders draws them, and we usually put out ear corn for them in bad weather.
\nWe have been in the grip of frigid weather for at least two weeks, or maybe it’s three by now. This afternoon it started raining a fine snow, and we are supposed to accumulate snow throughout the night. The remainder of the week is supposed to be very cold, slippery, and white. More snow, each day. I shopped for groceries today. We have emergency items, although I could use more C batteries. But…..we need more ear corn. I have to make two trips away from home tomorrow, so I plan to watch for places where they sell bird food. I should be able to get enough ear corn there to tide us over for a week. Then, I can check the boonies for another source. The deer deserve a little kindness. We’ve stolen their home and killed off their relatives. It seems so little to do.
\nThe snow is reflecting the light from the cities around us so that it almost seems like dusk. I can see the tree trunks, and I’ve turned the house lights low so that I can watch for the deer. One more glimpse, and then it’s time for bed.
\nWe’re fortunate that we have such beauty in our lives.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
This evening DH decided to call it quits early. Tomorrow he will have to take the trash down the drive, so it means that he will need to be up earlier than his usual 4:30 a.m. He organized some of … Continue reading