When we took in our orphaned buck fawn, Tukker, we created a better set up for his raising than for any of the white-tail fawns we rehabilitated in the past. From Daisy to Emma and Ronnie, FD and I learned a lot along the way, and made improvements accordingly to our fenced quarters and barn … More Wide-Eyed on a Windy Day
Last week I found myself picking acorns for our orphaned fawn, Tukker, from an oak tree near the old river channel. We have a good number of oak trees on our property, but it just was not a great production year for acorns. I had been picking from this particular tree for a couple of … More Winter Foraging For Tukker
The weather here has been cold and overcast the past few weeks, making me feel trapped in the house. But each time I did venture out to do chicken chores or put feed down for the wildlife, I was quickly ready to come back inside to the warmth! Despite the cold, I still hoped to … More Woodland Walk in Snow
The kitchen window is often the spot through which I see all sorts of wildlife passing by. Ms. Foxy trots along the neighboring fence line each morning around ten o’clock. The red-tailed hawk perches in the old hackberry tree most mornings, and the little sparrows hang out in the forsythia bush just below the kitchen … More Crash Landing
Late September brought the first heavy rains of the year, at last refilling the dried-up slough and old river channel in the pecan orchard area. With all this rainfall, I heard the nearby river was up several feet, so I was anxious to hike to the leased property to the west as soon as the … More Autumn Offerings
Most days after FD takes off for work, I enjoy my second cup of coffee on the back porch. I read a little from my iPad and watch the woodlands wake up. The Cardinals are always the first to begin chirping and flying about. Soon chickadees, titmice, and mockingbirds join in, while a few of … More A Different Approach
The first times I remember hearing the nighttime yips, wails, and howls of coyotes in the night, was back in the early 1980’s when I did a lot of tent camping. Back then I was scared of them and had all sorts of thoughts about these wild dogs coming into camp and attacking me. But, … More Nighttime Howler – The Coyote
One morning back in 2013, I spotted a bobcat at the very edge of the woods just south of the house. It was moving quickly and heading north through the grasses. This was the year Daisy deer delivered her first babies – a doe and a buck. Alarmed at the close proximity of the bobcat … More Bobcat – An Elusive Hunter
For more than a year we have been watching a pair of yearling, sibling deer frequent the area. We call the doe, “Split-ear”, since she has a deep split running down her right ear, and her brother we call, “Splilt-ear’s Brother” because, well, he’s her brother. FD and I have often wondered if “Mama” of … More Woodland Headdress
Back in June, we learned that an old friend of FD’s had purchased the farm ground west and south of the pecan orchard. We heard he would be putting in wheat for winter cattle grazing on the upper south fields, and would sprig Bermuda grass on the lower river bottom fields. We were thrilled about … More The New Neighbors
The other day, I was walking down the lane rather quickly and shouting for Oscar and Lollipop to “C’mon you two! Get over here NOW!”. Those two are trouble with a capital T. Each day I take them walking with me to the mailbox at the street, and almost always I have to yell for … More Ambush in the Weigela
Day by Day the Farm Girl Way... 