Tuesday, September 29, 2015

Thunder in the Ground


While I was reading in the library recently, a brown swish passed by the picture window and caught my eye. Another movement quickly followed. A rumbling thunder pounded the ground as two half-grown fawns raced from back yard to front, with hooves airborne. Again and again they raced around the red twig bush, with dried horse chestnut leaves flying off the ground, and returned to the back yard. This dogwood bush is showing more pinkish-red color as the cool nights announce autumn is here to stay, at least for three short months. One deer returned to scale the knoll by the pump house. He approached it as if he was on a pogo stick—all four legs stiff as he bounced and flexed his young muscles.

They had their morning fun and returned to the back yard to rest under the grape arbor and chewed their cud. They feast on the low-hanging grapes and the tender new leaves.

We are harassed by patches of clover from the result of old orchard grass in our lawn. The deer love to nibble on the clover flowers and any other beautiful, tender blossoms within their reach. I'm thankful they ignore, at least for this year, my colorful dahlias. One year they will devour my favorites and the next year they change their diet to another treasure of mine. This year they loved my chocolate plants for the first time. I can't blame them for that treat. Chocolate is addicting.

This herd of wild animals spends a lot of time in our yard. My husband's official deer food from the pet store, the salt lick block and the watering trough under the cedar tree makes them feel welcome until deer season when they wisely disappear from the neighborhood. 

Juanita