 |
| The Old Home Place |
When
I’m the dogs’ caretaker, I prefer to be at the farm. Exercise options are more
difficult in town, whereas, at the farm, I don’t have to control their every
move – or worry (much) about what they’re doing.
 | |
| Plank's Pitch from west of house |
As
we staycated at the farm, every day after lunch, the dogs and I went for a
hike. It could be any place on our property or the neighbors’, but it could not
be the usual route to the mailbox. We hiked across the fields avoiding gullies
and draws, rocky places, thick grass, etc. My goal was to see the house from
different perspectives and take pictures with our new Nikon Coolpix P600. A
hike can be tedious, but a picture-taking expedition is downright fun! Of
course, mid-day is not a great time to take pictures, but never mind -- that
couldn’t be helped.
“Did
you see the huns?” asked Mike when I told him about our hikes. For the past 15
years, Mike has worked to conserve the coveys of Hungarian partridge there. This
year it looked as if they would be sparse, but a couple of weeks ago he discovered
one covey, possibly two, and was encouraged.
No,
I replied, we hadn’t seen the huns.
“The
huns don’t leave,” said Mike. “They’re there someplace.”
 |
| Nell on point -- east of barn |
Well,
I did think when Nellie suddenly pointed at nothing east of the barn (the huns are
virtually invisible in the stubble) that the huns had probably been there. Nothing
got up, but Nellie is hardly ever mistaken.
No,
I didn’t see the huns until Monday as we left the farm for town. I had just
descended that first steep pitch on the lane when five or six got up to the
right (June’s field). Then a covey of about twenty or so got up to the left
(the north field). It was a joy to see them fly.
 |
| Doe in north field at evening |
If
the huns are elusive, the deer abound. Clearly, the deer are beautiful but a
nuisance. They take liberties in the yard when we aren’t there, but when we are,
they’re wary of the dogs. I watched one evening as a big doe cautiously crossed
the lane into the north field, keeping a watchful eye toward the house, guarded
by a diligent, opinionated, and vocal Bess.
 |
| This doe posed for me |
One
day, as we hiked north of the house on the other side of the draw, I was
surprised when a young doe loped into the field where I was. She stopped some
distance from me, and we momentarily stared at one another. I figured she would
lope off before I had a chance to take her picture – so often the way – but the
camera was on and I decided to give it a try. She posed nicely – then went on. KW
An old friend of mine (and Mike's) who now lives in Texas used a term to describe deer that I had not heard before. Night gardeners. Seems appropriate.
ReplyDeleteDo you think that's the same deer?
ReplyDeleteHi Richard! Mike wonders who that friend could be. "Night gardeners" is good and applies to the pruning of tomato bushes and the like. They could also be called "night harvesters." But even that activity isn't as disturbing as the damage to trees, lilac bushes, etc.
ReplyDeleteHi Hallie! No, I don't think it's the same deer. The close-up encounter was a young doe, which probably accounts for her willingness to pause and commune. The one in the evening photo was a large doe -- older.
Graham Nelson...now a resident of Kerrville,TX
ReplyDelete