Christmas miracle 2012 edition

I prefer to celebrate Christmas on Santa's good boy list, while knowing who and where the bad girls on the list are. This year, I began the day on the good list and ended on the bad.  How do you tell Santa you're sorry?  

As a rule of thumb I dislike taxidermy that hasn't been dispatched by the family displaying  it. However, if you've gone to all the trouble and want  a trophy go for it.  In my case, I can't and there's my story.    

After too much Christmas eve cheer, Mrs. T and I arose at 4:30 AM Christmas morning to get my daughter to the airport in time for her 6 AM flight home. The drive was sad, but otherwise uneventful, until when almost home, we met up with Santa returning to the North Pole.  He was as surprised to see us as we him,  until I put a fender upside the backside of one of Santa's famous hitch. 

Mayberry's roadsides are littered with the detritus of mangled cars who've died while battling our giant deer population. Likewise there is steady work for the dead animal removal guy.  We were fortunate that only the car was damaged (barely), Dasher (fatally) and us, not at all.  We drove home with a few new dents and a cracked headlight.  

After a brief nap I wanted to return to the scene and field dress the beast to be able to mount the head but Mrs. T intervened.  She warned the sight of me field dressing one of Santa's team while families passed on their way to church would be shocking, and that having Santa finding Dasher, mounted above the stockings hung with care annually, would jeopardize the whole family's haul.    

I trust your holiday was safer.

Toad

Happy Birthday Dad

Another day in paradise

This is something I rarely say, but check out the rack on this GUY!

click on the photo

You can understand why I get so happy when even weeds flower, as long as we have eating machines like this around.

Toad

Baby Siting

As much as I love to complain about the giant rats at our house, I still like that they are around. They have a lot to teach, and apparently they like it here too. Allow me to explain.

It's birthing time for the deer. If you don't know the drill, it comes as quite a surprise to a homeowner to find a new born on your doorstep. Suddenly, you're a foundling home. Momma deer, to gather her strength after her ordeal, will leave her new born with a trusted family. In this case, Mrs. T and I.

When I first saw it, I thought it was dead, or dying and mom had abandoned it.

Being new to this myself I called the local animal control folks. They were most helpful. They explained that we were baby sitting. Mom went off to eat and rest for a while, while her baby gathers its strength. In a couple of hours mom will return and all will be well.

Also, put the pets away, and keep away from the doe. It will imprint almost immediately, and they make bad pets. so that is what happened.

About 2 hours later mom came back looking for her baby.

This was fascinating. As you can see the baby has a rock ledge on one side and a fence on the other. Mom would walk up and down the perimeter of the fence calling its baby. I'd never heard a deer call. They sound like ducks.

As soon as the baby heard the quack it was up, and walking the fence line. Mom would saunter up the drive and call. Baby would follow. Mom would walk down the drive and call. Baby would follow. This went on for almost an hour. I had no idea how the baby would get out, so eventually I opened the tractor gate.

Soon without so much as a bye your leave, mom and baby were through the gate and into the woods.

Another day at The Park, cigars all around.

Toad

Wildlife at The Park

One of the great pleasures of living at The Park is great diversity of wildlife.

We are blessed with all manner of bird life, including all but one of Missouri's game birds. We have turkey, quail, geese, ducks, doves, no pheasant. Blackbirds, red birds, blue birds, song birds, herons and raptors. In the winter eagles are not uncommon. In summer hawks, and year round, my favorites the owls.

We have reptiles and amphibians, snakes, turtles, frogs, lizards.

Furry animals too. Foxes, coyote, hedgehogs, raccoon, possum, all frequent our yard.

But best and worst of all are the white tailed deer.

Mrs. T and I have two families of deer which frequent our yard. The photo above was taken from our bedroom window yesterday afternoon.

I really like watching them, and as a gardener I truly despise them. A hungry animal will eat anything.

Unfortunately, the only predator they have are car bumpers. Its a daily occurrence to see dead deer on the side of the road. While unfortunate for the deer, its really expensive and unbelievably traumatic to hit one of these beasts.

Local communities have no idea what to do about the problem. There is an unanimity of believe that there are too many deer, and a wide disagreement about what to do about them. Mayberry has gone so far as to allow homeowners to hunt, bow only, on their property.

Beginning within the next week or so, about every ten days, until the season starts, someone will stop by and offer to hunt on our land for us. The answer is always NO. We have become attached to those who share our land, just so long as they don't run into us.

Be safe, its deer mating season. Also, while stopping by, stop in and say hello.

Toad