Forrest had to put in a lot of work to keep the wildlife feeders and water tub filled during the recent winter storm. Normally, we hand-carried five-gallon buckets of deer feed down the slope to the feeders, but more than ten inches of snow cover made walking to the bottom much too treacherous. So Forrest … More Playing ‘Possum
Last month, I found myself making the usual preparations for the cold weather and deep snow that was forecast in mid-February. I called ahead for a propane delivery, even though I still had forty percent in the tank, as I wanted it topped off while the weather was still favorable for our propane guy to … More Surviving the Siberian Cold Snap
I remember, all too well, the day the city police animal control truck drove up the driveway, with our first rehabilitated and newly released fawn, Daisy, lying in the truck bed, unable to move except to loll her head around with eyes rolled back, making light grunting sounds. Apparently, she had ventured into a neighborhood … More Meeting the Neighbors
The weather generally dictates my schedule for the week. Lately it’s been cold and windy, so I’ve kept to indoor projects. But the last week has been a different pace, with Forrest now retired. There is an ease to everything – staying up later watching a good movie, getting up later than usual as a … More Watching and Waiting
Last week, the weather forecast remained fairly solid that New Year’s Eve would bring a winter storm. I was hopeful that, at the very least, the timing of the real danger of ice and freezing rain would start later at night so that Forrest and I would not have to cancel our dinner reservations to … More Proceeding Without Much Ado…
I am generally up anywhere between 5:00 and 6:00 in the morning, thanks to Oscar, our three-year-old Japanese chin, who gently paws at the bedroom door when he is ready for me to get up. Sometimes, for whatever reason, he thinks 4:00 is ok too. If I feel I’ve had enough sleep, I go ahead … More My Eight-Eyed Coffee Companion
Yesterday brought a quiet, drizzly morning. The day promised increasing wind and dropping temperatures with a chance of snow, so I took my time getting outside to do deer and chicken chores. The weather radar showed a slight clearing in the next hour so I decided to wait for that opportunity to tend to the … More Rainy Day Punkin
I was up early this morning. For many weeks, I have been restless at night, awakening every hour or two, often managing my day without more than four or five hours of sleep. The autumn time change only added to the problem. Often, I just get up and quietly get started with my day. It’s … More When the Mind is Still…
As I stepped out into the wind this morning, I took off my ear flap cap and let the wind ruffle my short, unkempt hair. Finally and enjoyably, Mother Nature was providing the first well-above freezing temperatures of the week. City workers restored power to our neighborhood last night, and I slept well knowing the … More Ice Storm – A Pioneer Spirit
Back in March, an inner voice kept telling me “More Than One”. So I was not surprised as, one by one, orphaned fawns, Scout, Gracie, and Ruthie came to live with us. However, I was definitely surprised in late September when Forrest was contacted about yet another orphaned fawn that needed a new home. This fawn … More And Then There Were Four…
Tukker, the orphaned buck fawn we raised in 2019, and released January 16th of 2020, spent most of the spring enjoying his freedom. He never ventured far, though we knew he had crossed through barbed wire fencing, as his back was scraped to the point it was often more bloody than hair-covered. Fortunately, at some … More Tukker’s Yearling Summer
