The Littlest Deer

Your unfailing love, O Lord, is as vast as the heavens; your faithfulness reaches beyond the clouds...
You care for people and animals alike, O Lord.
How precious is your unfailing love, O God!
All humanity finds shelter in the shadow of your wings.
You feed them from the abundance of your own house,
letting them drink from your river of delights.
Ps. 36

My eye caught a movement outside as I walked by the bedroom window. On closer inspection, I saw a very small deer scraping up the last of the bird seed I had scattered on the ground for the quail. He, no doubt, was hungry as he was scavenging for every crumb left by the birds. He was one of the smallest deer I have seen other than young fawns in the springtime. Jack said he was probably a late summer fawn and born to a young mother. There were no other deer around.

I continued to keep an eye on him the rest of the afternoon. We can only guess as to why he was here alone. Did his mother get killed by a car on the highway? Did he get separated when dogs chased the herd? I worried and watched--hoping he would be reunited with his deer family soon. I didn't want him to wander away from the safety of our place.

After a long while, he meandered around to the front of the pasture, still just outside the yard fence. With almost human like actions, he wandered to the left for a few steps, then turned and walked a few steps in the other direction--just like a lost child. I could almost read his mind-- "where is my mother?" He stomped his foot a few times like deer do when seeing something they don't understand, and he kept looking toward the east pasture where we feed the deer herd every afternoon. I too, was searching for another deer to come to his side. Nothing!

I watched him slowly curl up in the dead grass --a lesson I'm sure he had learned from his mama. He was positioned so he had a good view of the feeding area. Being a patient and trusting little fellow, he seemed to know if he waited in the safety of the grass long enough, help would come. I continued to check on him every time I passed the window (I passed the window a lot!) He was so camouflaged in the brown grass that I often lost him. If I scanned the area long enough, I would see a little ear twitch and, I would be comforted to see him still and waiting. He wasn't sleeping, but watching, trusting, hoping.

Finally, I couldn't wait for regular feeding time. I fired up Jack's four-wheeler--the sound the deer recognize as "feeding time", and drove to the feeding area to put out some corn. It didn't take long. I saw the little fellow standing, within a few yards of the four-wheeler, watching me from the edge of the trees. As I left, he was already out and nibbling the scattered corn. My question now was--where were the others?

The herd finally came, a few at a time from every direction. We think there was something, probably dogs, that scattered the herd that day. I watched as the "littlest deer" blended into the herd. I could never tell if his mother was one of the group. However, I was relieved to see him the next afternoon come up the hill, on time, with the rest of his "family". I will continue to keep an eye out for our "littlest deer". And, I believe Someone else is doing the same.

Bluebird Days

As I stepped outside early this morning, a cheery bluebird greeted me with his "good morning song." It is "trash day" and that means loading up garbage, plastics, aluminum cans, and paper to put down beside the highway for the Newton County Recycle truck to pick up. Frost was still on the truck windshield, but as I looked around the yard, there were bluebirds everywhere! A good sign! I told the dogs it would be another "bluebird day" here on the mountain. We have always marveled at the number of bluebirds who make our mountain their year round home (or maybe it is "their" mountain, since they were here first!) They don't seem to mind sharing, and we do our best to be good neighbors by providing extra houses and food.

The dogs were busy running around the yard picking up the fading scent of a wandering night animal who has been scavenging for a leftover scrap from the dogs' food bowls. Skunks, 'possums, and armadillos have been seen wandering through the yard during the night! None of these are really welcome. Deer and rabbits leave reminders that they, too, checked out the backyard in the night! One spring the deer ate all 24 buds off my "Aunt Marie's" rose bush during a late night visit! Bunnies regularly nibble the tulip leaves as they pop out of the ground in the spring.

When the late killing frost hit us on April 9 last year, Jack said it would effect the wildlife the entire year. We are seeing that prediction come true as an increasingly large herd of deer come running to feed each afternoon when Jack drives his 4-wheeler down in the hollow near the house with a bucket of corn. Even the 8 point buck has had to give up some of his wariness of humans in order to survive. We have counted up to 20 deer lately. We can only give them enough corn to keep a little fat on their bones. They are still dependent on whatever they can scrape up in the woods and pastures around the house.

We try to keep the bird feeders full of sunflowers and finch seed, but the squirrels often get their share first. I can't deny them a meal, so we just put out more seed. It's the same with the crows, blackbirds, and rowdy bluejays. All need nourishment during these cold winter days. The bright cardinals seem to slip in occasionally along with a covy of quail, doves, juncos, fieldlarks, woodpeckers, chickadees, goldfinches (though they have their own seed sacks, they steal a few sunflowers), and a few others I can't remember. I counted up to 26 different species feeding in the backyard at one time last year. Even a roadrunner makes an appearance now and then. Though I think he has other ideas about his meals!!

This is still early January, and we will have many more dreary, cold, foggy, and snowy days before real springtime, but always sprinkled in now and then, will be a day like today--a "bluebird day." And, the wildlife will bask in the sun, nibble on whatever food they can find, and wait for the next feeding from the "humans in the house." This verse comes to mind:

"That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life...Look at the birds. They don't plant or harvest or store food in barns. For your heavenly Father feeds them." Matt. 6:25a-26