By the first week of August, Gracie deer was making it clear she was ready to move little JoJo out of the confines of the deer pen and into the real world. Both Forrest and I struggled to know when the timing for such a big move would be right, since we were not yet … More Gracie’s Invitation
For most of my life, I have considered waiting on anything a waste of good time. I have a plan for the day that only changes with the weather forecast and the seasons. Ranch work revolves around what chore or activity might be pressing and of importance – and weather conditions are always a factor … More Watching the Grass Grow
Early this morning, as I sat at my desktop computer sipping coffee and attempting to catch up on paying bills and looking at email, I spotted motion outside the window in front of me. It was little fawn Ellie running in the lead, with mama Ruthie deer closely trotting behind, and followed by Gracie deer … More Amazing Gracie
In the wee hours of the morning on June 26th, I woke to the sound of thunder and the wind picking up outside. Oscar had been gently pawing at the bedroom door for a couple of minutes before I decided to get up. I figured he and Lollipop were scared, so I got out of … More Beneficial Summer Rain
If ever we needed a miracle on our little ranch, it would be now. We are faced with a rehabilitation scenario more challenging than any other we have ever encountered. The Wednesday before Memorial Day, Ruthie deer did not return home in the evening with her three sisters. We did not think much of this … More A Venomous Strike
Warning. The images posted may be disturbing. During the first few days of March, we found the bodies of three coyotes on the leased property along the Washita river. It appeared they were shot the day prior. We figured the owner of that property, a friend of ours who leased the property to us for … More Footsteps of a Killer
The first reports of our four rehabilitated, orphaned fawns venturing into the residential area east of our property, came from neighbors across the street. Neighbors just north of us reported seeing them in their front and back yards, as was the case with both Daisy and Tukker deer when they were venturing out and exploring … More A Little Too Much Adventure
Walking along our driveway one morning in Mid-March, I noticed something odd in one of our blooming Forest Pansy redbud trees. As I stepped a little closer, I discovered a female mourning dove sitting on a nest, with purplish-pink blossoms all around her. I wondered how long she had been sitting on the nest before … More Gentle Mourning Dove
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
