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
In the days and weeks after taking in an orphaned fawn, we always enjoy watching their personalities evolve. The eldest of our little trio this year, Scout, has shown us her staunch independence, reliance on instinct, and physical strength. She’s highly alert and is often the first to flee into the safety of tall grasses … More Walkabout Scout
Back in March, an inner voice kept telling me “More Than One”. Of course I took it that I would be getting more than one orphaned fawn in the upcoming baby season, even though I had vowed to a few people that, with the COVID-19 situation, I would not be taking on any animals since … More More Than One…
In late March, FD and I began the big task of landscape cleanup at the rock house. After having many large trees removed in the year since my mother-in-law passed, we were left with a lot of overgrown shrubbery, wild vine, and small saplings growing in iris beds that FD’s grandmother had established more than … More A Tale of Spring Romance
I keep fairly busy outdoors throughout the day, but mornings are when you’ll find me hardest at work. I’m up for coffee at 6:00, and out of the door by 7:00, tending to chickens and working in the garden, flower beds, or yard while it’s fairly shady and the temperatures are cool. As I begin … More Tukker’s Lair
With FD working from home under the COVID-19 Safer at Home guidelines, the pace of life around here has changed a little. It’s much more relaxed since FD doesn’t have to be dressed up for work, or preparing to fly off to some destination. I get up an hour later than usual, at 6:30 now, … More Luna See in the Barn
I should have expected Tukker, our newly released orphan deer, to incur a few wounds in his first weeks out in the wild. For orphaned youngsters like Tukker, it’s normal to see scratches from barbed wire fencing and a few hoof marks from being run off by some other fawn’s mother. However, Tukker’s barbed wire … More Safer At Home
I will never forget the first time I heard a co-worker exclaim, “Dad gummit!” in complete frustration over a problem we were trying to solve. At first, I thought I heard her wrong, so I asked her to repeat what she said. After a repeat of the phrase confirmed I had indeed heard what I … More Dad Gum Tree
