We live in what feels to me an arboreal oasis. Our land was once a cedar forest - the swampy bottom land type, and the rolling 'hills' that flow through the neighborhood influenced the location of our house and outbuildings. Deer, a wide variety of birds, squirrels, skunk, possum and raccoon venture onto our property and we are surrounded by wood lots and out right deciduous forest. Hawks frequent the sky over our house and a family of Bald Eagles has their summer nest in a cottonwood tree just a few yards beyond our back property line. It is a peaceful retreat that offers a lot if one has the patience to watch.
We have had an injured doe living in our back yard since late August or early September - when the first apples started to ripen and fall from the trees. I had thought perhaps she had been grazed by a car. Josh said it looked more like she had been shot. Either way there was an obvious injury to her shoulder. We often saw her hobbling along, being careful not to put much weight on her left foreleg. She wasn't too spooky most of the time, not even when we took the dog out.
It made me feel good to see her, and feel that we were providing her a safe haven. I even saw her bedded down one afternoon under a big cedar tree behind the house. I was looking forward to spring to see if some buck had considered her worthy despite her lameness. A fawn frolicking in our back yard would have been delightful. Sadly, very early this morning she was hit by a car. Unfortunately, she wasn't killed instantly. But by some miracle of providence she literally came knocking on our back door.
I woke up about 2:30 AM to use the bathroom. While I was there I heard something banging around the basement. I wasn't scared, but didn't know what to think. At first I thought perhaps one of the local wildlife had somehow gotten into our basement. But as it happened again I realized the banging was on our basement door. (Because of the shape of our land, we have an exterior basement door - a little like having a daylight basement.) This door is directly below our bathroom window. I quickly went to get Josh. Someone had tried to break into the house this way in the past (with no success).
When he came to investigate he didn't hear anything at first, then it became obvious that someone or something was beating on the basement door. As he was getting dressed we heard a very strange sound - not a growl, not a moan, but alarming nevertheless. He went to investigate in the basement first and as he approached the basement door from the inside he heard the strange noise again. He then went outside while I waited anxiously within. When he returned he sadly reported to me that it was our doe and that she was bleeding and in very bad shape. In her disoriented state she had been banging into the basement door. The strange noise we heard had been her cries of pain.
He was going to go out and relieve her from her misery when we both thought better of doing it ourselves - the sheriff was called for advice (we didn't want to break any firearm or hunting laws) and a deputy arrived to assist. Just an hour ago an animal control officer came and removed the carcass.
She was such a symbol of perseverance over adversity for me. That she was able to survive her initial injury - most likely a botched poaching attempt - and recover as well as she did was amazing. That she ended up at our back door instead of lying in the woods or along the side of the road for hours or longer is nothing short of miraculous. I am saddened by this tragic end to her life, yet grateful that we were able to shorten her suffering.
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Thursday, December 1, 2011
Christmas and other things.
It has been a while since I shared anything. Suffice it to say, this year was a bust with very uncooperative, cool and damp weather well past the time for planting. We've put it behind us and are planning for next spring already, with a nice tunnel house for tomatoes their family members on the must acquire list.
I spent yesterday afternoon taking trimmings off the fir, cedar, and spruce trees and holly around our place to start making wreaths and swags for Christmas. The Blue Spruce is especially tough and prickly this year, my scratched and poked hands are proof of that, but the holly is lovely this year with lots of berries.
I used to make wreaths a lot - by the dozens - for a church fund raiser for several years. I haven't made any in awhile, not even for myself, so it will take a small search to find all my supplies - wreath frames, pine cones, outdoor ribbon, and such. I know they are here, by like all things that we don't use on a regular basis have gotten pushed to the back of some shelf, drawer, or shed.
The cold is not very kind to this activity, but I'll have to persevere. I'm planning to make a few for far off family, and if I get back into the rythm of assembling them, hope to have some for sale by the 5th of December. They're really lovely, if I do say so myself. Lush, full, and fragrant. If the weather holds - cold but dry - I can hang out in the yard to do this.
Was delighted yesterday to be able to actually be outside and be comfortable without boots or a heavy coat. The brief period of sunshine was wonderful. Raked some of the overly abundant leaves out of the flower beds - and was chewed out by my four year old for doing so. She informed me that raking leaves is her job, then thanked me for starting it for her while she was using the bathroom.
I wish the leaves would compost faster. It is always aggravating to have a huge pile of leaves still decomposing when spring arrives. We are due for a new mower this spring though, so hope to get one that is especially good at mulching. That would help a lot.
It is always so quiet around here in the winter. Not too much to do but dream of spring planting and make sure the animals have plenty of food and water and stay warm and dry when it gets really nasty. My horse is approaching what is considered 'senior' in age and the llama is of unknown age, but she has been on the farm about 20 years, so it is important that they both get the care and shelter they need.
Funny chickens - hardly an egg all summer, and now we are averaging two a day. Still not great for what we put in to them, but we do have one egg eater. She would end up in the oven if we were a little more hard hearted, but we'll be finishing up a nice poultry run in the spring and get her separated from the rest. Her little problem doesn't seem to have spread to the others, thankfully. Our goose is tending to two eggs, but this seems like an effort in futility for her. The third time they have had a clutch of eggs and most likely they'll give up on these before too much longer as well. They'll be getting their own space this spring too and hopefully a nicer area to nest will make them more comfortable in tending their eggs.
Lots and lots planned for spring and sooner - I'm looking forward to a busy and productive year next year. Hope everyone has a joyous and peaceful Christmas.
I spent yesterday afternoon taking trimmings off the fir, cedar, and spruce trees and holly around our place to start making wreaths and swags for Christmas. The Blue Spruce is especially tough and prickly this year, my scratched and poked hands are proof of that, but the holly is lovely this year with lots of berries.
I used to make wreaths a lot - by the dozens - for a church fund raiser for several years. I haven't made any in awhile, not even for myself, so it will take a small search to find all my supplies - wreath frames, pine cones, outdoor ribbon, and such. I know they are here, by like all things that we don't use on a regular basis have gotten pushed to the back of some shelf, drawer, or shed.
The cold is not very kind to this activity, but I'll have to persevere. I'm planning to make a few for far off family, and if I get back into the rythm of assembling them, hope to have some for sale by the 5th of December. They're really lovely, if I do say so myself. Lush, full, and fragrant. If the weather holds - cold but dry - I can hang out in the yard to do this.
Was delighted yesterday to be able to actually be outside and be comfortable without boots or a heavy coat. The brief period of sunshine was wonderful. Raked some of the overly abundant leaves out of the flower beds - and was chewed out by my four year old for doing so. She informed me that raking leaves is her job, then thanked me for starting it for her while she was using the bathroom.
I wish the leaves would compost faster. It is always aggravating to have a huge pile of leaves still decomposing when spring arrives. We are due for a new mower this spring though, so hope to get one that is especially good at mulching. That would help a lot.
It is always so quiet around here in the winter. Not too much to do but dream of spring planting and make sure the animals have plenty of food and water and stay warm and dry when it gets really nasty. My horse is approaching what is considered 'senior' in age and the llama is of unknown age, but she has been on the farm about 20 years, so it is important that they both get the care and shelter they need.
Funny chickens - hardly an egg all summer, and now we are averaging two a day. Still not great for what we put in to them, but we do have one egg eater. She would end up in the oven if we were a little more hard hearted, but we'll be finishing up a nice poultry run in the spring and get her separated from the rest. Her little problem doesn't seem to have spread to the others, thankfully. Our goose is tending to two eggs, but this seems like an effort in futility for her. The third time they have had a clutch of eggs and most likely they'll give up on these before too much longer as well. They'll be getting their own space this spring too and hopefully a nicer area to nest will make them more comfortable in tending their eggs.
Lots and lots planned for spring and sooner - I'm looking forward to a busy and productive year next year. Hope everyone has a joyous and peaceful Christmas.
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