This just makes my day!

This morning, I glanced out the window and saw a doe with her newborn fawn. I stopped to watch for a while before grabbing my camera for some not-so-great pictures.

I suspect this fawn isn't very old, just by the way it walked, unsure of its steps and with a tentative posture. It made its way to Mom and began to suckle. Mom licked its little face. Could there be anything cuter than a nursing fawn?

 

Mama was aware of my presence, even though I was inside looking through the window. She definitely was keeping a watchful eye.

While I watched, another doe appeared in the woods. Mama was very clearly not happy about that. The second deer approached just a little too close to the baby, causing Mama to react. She chased the intruder into the woods, and then returned to the baby. The doe approached again. This time Mama was serious. She led her baby to a grassy area at the base of a tree. The baby laid down in the tall grass and was barely visible from my vantage point. Mama went after the doe again, this time on the attack, kicking with her front legs. She meant business and the doe knew it. She ran into the woods and didn't look back. 

 It is this kind of a just-another-day-in-the-woods encounter that makes my day. 

 

 

Just sittin' for a bit

Sometimes you just need some time to sit and enjoy the view.

That's what happened to me on this gorgeous Tuesday morning. The temperature is perfect, there is a slight breeze--just enough to let the leaves dance as they fall from the trees. Tomorrow is certainly the start of Fall. And, all is well here in the Ozarks.

I had just finished mopping the kitchen floor, so I decided to take a minute to chill on the front porch while the floor dried. I went out to sit for a while, my feet resting comfortably atop a homemade stool.

All of a sudden I looked down and realized I wasn't alone. There was a young opossum drinking out of my cat's water dish. I don't know where it came from or when or how it got here. I must have really been deep in thought because the little critter seemingly just appeared.

I haven't seen many possums in the yard. They rarely have rabies, and they are generally nocturnal, so this one was probably asleep and like the rest of us have experienced, he got up because he was thirsty.

I watched for a short time before I decided to get my camera. I didn't get a picture of him drinking, but he did stick around long enough to pose for a few shots. Then off he went.

Funny, as I watched him walk across the front yard, I had an idea where he was going. We have a pretty large oak tree at the edge of the woods that has a huge hollowed out spot near ground level. I swear, that tree must be a neighborhood all its own. That's where all the raccoons run to and from in the night when I catch them stealing bird food. I've seen a squirrel or two take refuge there as well.

And one time, there was a guinea hen sitting on a branch of that very tree, squawking. I couldn't figure out what the heck it was until I got the binoculars and saw it.

There must be something about that tree.

Who could be mad at a face like this?

My friend the rogue deer who eats lilies and rose bushes

Despite all she and her friends have done to my gardens, my flowers, all living things I've tried so hard to nurture, I just can't be mad at her. The truth is I am in awe of her. She is beautiful. I like nothing more than to watch whenever I see deer in the yard. It isn't uncommon to simply stop what I'm doing and look out the window. On this day, this doe seemed to be posing, letting me walk out onto the front porch just yards away from her. It is like she brought her little one just to show off. There was no front foot stomping, no snorting, just a keen eye on my every move. That's OK.

At least that is my romantic version, as I'm still mesmerized by the sight of her. My heart is completely open to her as I watch her foraging in the front yard with her newborn fawn. In reality, she is probably trying to show the little one the ropes--to teach it how to sneak up onto the front porch and nibble on whatever looks green and tasty. Today, I shan't complain. I am awash in the essence of her. Never did I dream that I would live in the woods among the wildlife.

The following are more pictures of our encounter. 

Mama doe nuzzles her baby. Is it me, or is that devotion on their faces?

Like mother like baby, the two of them watch intently

What a beautiful animal!

Baby animals are so sweet and innocent. I wish her a long and healthy life

Critters can be challenging

I absolutely love living in the woods. There are certainly challenges, however, such as trying to also maintain the place, not to mention, trying to have flower and vegetable gardens. There are many reasons I find gardening here in the Ozarks to be a challenge, not the least of which is because of all the critters that run around like they own the place.

OK, I know, they do own the place. We are all just squatters in the forest. And I'm very grateful to be sharing the woods with them, but there are times when we humans just have to act like the top of the food chain. I insist that we learn to get along. I will just not tolerate the deer eating my tomatoes, or rat snakes climbing into the bluebird nest, both sad topics I've written about in the past. As long as we can have an understanding, I am thrilled to be able to be up close and personal with all the wildlife that seems to abound in our little Ozarks forest.

Bandit, the raccoon

This is bandit. He and his pals appear nightly, although this time I caught him during a lazy afternoon. It is really hard to resist that face. This has to be a young fella, evident by the fact that he didn't pull the feeder, the pole that holds it, and all the seed onto the ground for easier pickings.

We have resorted to bringing the feeders in at night, simply because these guys, while cute, are pretty destructive. 

Even the noisy crows like to get into the act

Rarely do I see the many crows in the area come into the yard. I have no idea what that means, except perhaps that it has been pretty dry this spring. They are probably looking for an easy handout.

This morning I saw them foraging on the ground, but at other times, they have been hanging out at the bird feeder with the rest of my feathered friends. Wanna see a tiny chickadee run for its life?--Just throw a giant, noisy crow into the mix. These guys are huge. 

They aren't shy about talking about what they want either. Crows are beautiful birds, but their voices will never allow them to be American Idols.

A myriad pesky squirrels

Of course this little guy is no stranger to anyone's garden. He and his extended family are just about the biggest pain in the neck in our lives. 

While the antics of squirrels can often be quite charming, it has started to become a little annoying. In fact we are getting pretty aggravated about their trying to steal ALL of the bird food we put out. The little buggers are smart and apparently smarter than we are. We shall persevere however. 

Suffice it to say, if one or more squirrels get eaten by a bigger animal, there would be no crocodile tears shed by me.

Terrible the terrapin

The other morning, I was sitting on the front porch enjoying the beautiful weather of late, when I had to actually scold this little fella. Normally I just ignore him, but when I saw him take a big bite out of my impatiens, I decided it was time for him to go. I picked him up and carried him to another part of the yard. 

Darned if he didn't come back, so I repeated the process. I know it was him because he has a little cut in his shell, right near his right hind leg. The other day I found another--a different tarrapin--trying to follow in his footsteps. Sheesh!

I ran into a rabbit this morning, but it was too dark yet to get his picture. So far, I haven't caught them doing anything I didn't approve of. I really don't mind if they want to stick with the clover. If they start heading for my vegetable garden though, that will not be tolerated. I've seen chipmunks, skunks, and some other critters, but not when I was armed with my camera. Who knows, that may be something to strive for along  with growing pretty flowers and lots of healthy veges.