Do you remember this baby from Fall of 05? We named her Flower and she hung around through the winter, then disappeared - Dax
Pictures of Pete the Groundhog -
This message was edited Mar 7, 2007 3:30 PM
Flower Returns!
Here's another of the cutie - hanging out while I'm planting bulbs in late October -
And here she is today - January, 07. She has been hanging out for about a month now and I finally got close enough to see a marking on her back leg that identifies her as our Flower. She is almost in the same spot where the other pics where taken in the Fall of '05. She knows that's where we leave her corn. Isn't she beautiful? Dax
Becki: She is gorgeous. I'd LOVE to have a friend like that in my garden! Maybe I can catch a glimpse of her sometime when I visit your garden!
She is beautiful! Nice pics too!
I remember.
She's beautiful, and such Great Pics too!!
dax080: she's so beautiful -
Kiska
Alaska
Hi, again - just came in after seeing her again - what a thrill (and believe it or not, with Plantskyyd last year, she didn't eat my plants)! Oh, or maybe it was because I fed her - DUH! Dax
I hadn't seen this before...what a thrill to see that little one at the bird bath feeder. so adoreable...I am jealous.
Had to add a couple more pics from today - First, Flower with a friend as she eats corn - the squirrel is going to the open water in the pond for a drink, just in front of Flower.
And this is a long shot from the house - there are three squirrels in the foreground with nuthatches, chickadees, and a cardinal (very hard to see), with Flower in the background - What a thrill - Dax
She knows where her home is
dax, I've been following your story and I can't tell you how delighted when I saw the picture of Flower comfortably browsing through your garden as you were busy at work on the ground. I was wondering if you were going to be able to identify your friend as she grew older. Now I know. It's nice when there's some unusual mark of distinction that allows us to identify the animals we grow up with.
I'm glad she's back.
Dax, how wonderful!! She's beautiful - magnificent!
About four years ago I had twins hanging around - I called them Bubba and Betty Lou . . . I adored them - Bubba would lay underneath a huge Rosa Rugosa that I had and watch me garden. He also would follow me to the garage if he thought I was going to get him something to eat! Neither had any distinguishing marks so I have no idea if they still come around, plus the Alder forest in back of us was clear cut 2 1/2 years ago so it changed who was coming at all for awhile. Poor creatures, great and small, were all so confused.
Thanks for posting and for appreciating the deer - warms my heart.
You are lucky she isn't eating everything in sight. I had the idea of feeding the deer to keep them from eating my lillies. They ate the corn and the lillies. They are great to see coming in that close, and what fun when you can identify them!
Keep spraying your flowers. I had some that the deer passed by for a couple years, then wam bam, chewed right down to the nubs. I had a beautiful hostas and later in the day my mother visited and I walked out in the yard to show her and of course it looked like celry stalks, with drool on them!!!!
Well they will dessimate your garden but I must say I would just let Flower eat anything she wanted (and maybe her babies).....You could try spraying with Deer Out or something similar which does seem to work for me. This is a picture of my bed of hostas way down the hill when I stopped spraying last summer......ONE NIGHTS WORK!
I know what you mean about deer eating everything - It's been three years now, and I don't really know why I've been lucky with Flower (and the others that pass through). So far, the Plantskyyd has worked beautifully, as well as the corn and deer block, but I am VERY conscientious about spraying early. Last summer I went out behind the falls about mid-summer and saw one hosta that had been eaten to the ground and quickly refreshed the spray on them all. That worked for the rest of the year - we'll see. I'm just thankful that when (if) it happens, I won't be completely surprised since I've been warned!
I remember when Flower was a baby, and I let her eat ALL the pansies I had planted that fall. I was right there, and just couldn't say no to her. Here's another from the past when she's eating some of the bird food I ground feed. Ah, I'm a pushover! Dax
No wonder you couldn't say no - she's darling!!!!
Yup, they are cute alright. I do love seeing them. They are a beautiful animal. Levilyla, what a great picture. Very familiar sight. I took a picture of my hostas before, and now that is the only way I can see it. Now that they found it, they don't let it grow much. If I spray, they then just chew and spit. The only way I can get to see my lilies bloom is to cut them when the buds are fat and put them in a vase. I love to see the deer, but it doesn't hurt to take a few out in the fall. (I repeat, I only shoot the mean ones, and there are mean ones) anyway, one year I had a nice doe hanging in the garage and the neighbor snuck in and stuffed a boquet of silk lillies in her mouth. That was suppose to make me feel better I guess.
It is infuriating when you have wonderful big fat buds on the lillies and then the next day just sticks.......I try and spray the buds of all of them and it seems to work but you have to be diligent. I think if I saw Flower I may just let her eat some...she is so adoreable.
Hey Dax,
What a beautiful story. I love how Flowers comes back and visits.
We have a family of dear that visits the entire neighborhood! They go from house to another.
When we first discovered the plants being chomped upon, We thought a neighbor was helping himself the cuttings-(we've seen him collecting his daily bouquet) Until we started seeing the deer family making their rounds!
Cpartschick-sounds like you got a wise guy for neighbor...LOL
Yeah, a wise guy alright. You are right about collecting bouquets. I was told deer don't eat flowers (lilies) after they bloom....Wrong!!!! quite the banquet for them. I think there must be a neon "all you can eat" sign around somewhere!!!!
BTW Flower eating out of the birdbath is now my screen saver.
Why, how neat! I think I'll do the same with the screensaver idea - DUH! And I'll be giving updates, for sure, as I get more pics in the spring. We'll see how well the garden fares this year, but I'll try to be super wary by getting the spray on good and early. Here's a pic of the bed behind the falls - would hate to see it get munched down to the ground, for sure - Dax
That was the north to south view - this is the south to north. Just completed it last May, so lots of growing to do yet. These pics were taken in August - as you can see with nary a munch. Flower and the other deer stroll right through this area as it is in their path from the stream to wherever they go at night. About seven of them move through regularly. I'll have to keep a close eye for sure! Hopefully, I'll be able to post a pic with more of them later in the spring. I haven't seen the whole group for about two months now. We'll see if they forage through it this year, or if they'll allow it to grow - Dax
Here is one of my deer where they belong....not in my yard. I live on the end of a lake, in a lagoon type area at the mouth of the river. In the spring I see deer often swim out to a patch of marsh and nibble on vegetation. Here is a picture on full zoom I took from my front deck in may. 06
Dax, what a lovely setting you are creating - I am the ultimate deer lover, but must admit I wouldn't want them eating up such a beautiful garden area!
How nice, cpartchick! Sounds like a beautiful area for them to live, yet not intrude on you. I know what you mean, Murmur, I'll be watching closely this year - I'd just hate to have to fence the area, but some of my friends here have had to do just that - I'm hoping - Dax
Dax, she is beautiful! It's amazing to see her come back. It's refreshing to see your green grass and beautiful paths too.
Cpartschick, you're making me giggle! I agree, you live in a neat place!
I feel very blessed to be living in such a great spot. There are sacrifices of course. There are many that can't live so far from a mall or entertainment. Live with dial-up, no tv, spotting cell phone coverage, and living in the swamp. We have a different type of entertainment here, and a much quieter life. It is what we chose, and if the deer eat all the flowers, ah well, gives me somethng to snivel about, huh?
I got to add, it is funny. Sometimes we sit out on the deck on a lovely day, reading a book or something, then look up and see a deer walking out and her little fawns racing to her to eat, or an eagle swooping down to take a fish or duck, then we wonder, how much is going on that we miss? These things happen so quickly and they are gone. Seems if we pick up the binocs or spotting scope there is always something going on out there. You just have to look!
Cpartschick, sounds ideal to me! I avoid malls and couldn't care less about TV (although dh couldn't survive without one). We're relatively rural and already have spotty cell phone coverage and the only time I go out is to a tiny nearby town for dinner or a movie (dh doesn't like to go out so I rely on friends). Obviously I would fit right in!!! Hope you'll share more photos.
There are few of us out there, although when people visit they enjoy the solitude. I dread going into town, and ours is pretty tiny. I go the back way to avoid the 3 stop lights. I am really bad. I wish I had pictures of the incredible sights I have seen here. I do have a nice fawn picture that I have already posted on another sight, but he is too cute for just one thread, don't you think?
OH - how darling!! I hadn't seen him before - is he all grown up now? Dax
Oh God how adoreable...I would think I had died and gone to heaven if I saw one
I have seen several over the years. We have to be careful where we go in the spring. You can almost trip over them. Most of them will hide their faces when in danger, so this is a picture I had longed for. You will not see the mother, and it is hard not to get too close, or she may not come back, or the fawn will run and she will not know where it is as they have no scent when first born. The hardest thing is not being able to scoop them up and hug them. This one was in the deep swamp under heavy canopy of light, curled up between a dead, fallen paper birch and some tree roots. I saw the spots first and thought snake before fawn. I was lucky enough to have my camera with me, shot a couple and got out of there. Later we checked and the mother had moved him, so he survived.
I literally "gasped" when i saw this - much, much too cute for words and should be on every thread that's even semi appropriate!!
Thanks so much for sharing - my heart is warmed for the entire day!
You are so right about trying not to scoop him up...I am afraid I would have him back in my bed that night.
Dial up, tho it's getting to be pretty slow these days. I rarely watch TV, but DH must have it. No cell phone. No swamp. :)) You're right. I marvel when I catch wildlife, or even the feral cats around here. I wear my glasses so I can see that leaf fall from the tree. Nature is one big TV set. At least that's what I tell my cats. :)) We have the bird and squirrel channel.
Adorable!!! He has the sweetest face! I have a small, stuffed animal fawn. I can hug him!
Thanks you guys. I am happy to share the picture. Yeah, that is what I call our view the nature channel. Sometimes it is the comedy channel, when I see people out there in canoes, stuck in the muck. Always a good show on, and no cable bills.
Ah, the dial up is not too bad. I have learned patience! You should see the afghan I can crochet while things are loading!
LOL! I make a cup of tea when I know it's a long thread. Just what I'm about to do now!. I'd love to see more pictures.
It's not the real thing, but I loved it the minute I saw it.
