Flower - The Beginning

Update on Flower!


I know a number of you have heard the story of Flower - the deer we have had here since she was a fawn. However, in talking at a Round-up meeting this morning, I remembered that I did not post the very first picture that was taken of she and I. My neighbor, Linda, took this picture, and I just asked her to e-mail it to me. Flower had come up behind me, and I didn't know she was there until Linda said look around!! You can see just how AMAZED I was! She could not have been very old at the time. I'll send along a couple more Linda is sending me of when Flower and I played in the garden the fall of 2005. It was magical to say the least. If you don't know the whole story, check out the "Flower Returns" thread. - Dax

This message was edited Oct 24, 2007 5:09 PM

dax........ how awesome!! cant wait to see more.

T.

Here's a pictur of Flower drinking from my stream while I was working.

Lurking, saw the Flower story and love it. Many garderners want to kill the deer, or at least not deal with the deer, so your story is so nice. Somewhat symbiotic relationship you got going, and you look sooo happy. You go gals lol

Dax, the picture of Flower drinking and you gardening is a perfect example of harmony in life. I just love your lush garden too. Absolutely beautiful.

June

Oh, she is such a sweetie! Love the look on your face! I agree, you have a gorgeous garden!

Love this one - hadn't seen it before, but it is of Flower last Fall '06 in the meadow with our dog Sherlock, and our neighbor's grandson, Colton. Colton's face is priceless. Flower is obviously headed toward her corn!

This message was edited Mar 4, 2007 9:33 AM



This message was edited Mar 4, 2007 9:35 AM

And here is one our neighbor sent of a buck she got a pic of behind the Serenity Bed last Fall. This bed has Plantskyyd on it, and was not bothered by any deer last year. Hope my luck holds this year! It's a little dark, but isn't he a beaut?

And thank you so much for your lovely garden comments - as you can tell, it is my passion, but only as I can balance living WITH nature's wildlife. So far, I've been extremely blessed to be able to have both.

This message was edited Mar 4, 2007 9:32 AM

What a fabulous picture (yours and hers!) DAX, the look on your face says a thousand words.

Thanks, muddbear - it's been an awesome experience to be able to be close to her. Now she won't let me closer than about 30 feet - but that's good for her health. - Dax

What an amazing experiance, very cool...

Wow! Looks like Flower might have a little one in tow soon to your yard!

Hi - Remember Flower? Just thought I'd show you a pic of her from this fall - yes, she still comes to her "home," although she is fully grown and we don't see her as often. This pic was taken at sunset on Sept. 20, so I had to lighten it a bit to see her well. Isn't she doing well? Dax

And here she is moving through my latest Woodland project. Guess what? She hasn't ruined any of the plants there - my baby!! Again, I had to lighten the pic so it's kind of grainy - Dax

Dax,

thanks for the update. Flower is quite precious!!
Is her "mate" still hanging around occasionally too?

Terese

How neat! Hubby and I have several "pet" deer that come through our property every night. We have 5 1/2 acres in yard (front 5 was left wooded for the deer and other critters) so we have room to put a food plot down by the creek every fall for them. It can get hard for them to find food in the winter and we often have as many as 12 to 15 deer at a time in it. We just love to sit on the front porch and watch them. They've learned that we won't hurt them and will not run. What's even funnier is that, if they are in the food plot when we come back from town, they don't run while we're driving up the driveway. BUT, let a strange vehicle come up the drive and they all run across the creek and hide in the woods until the strangers leave! Kind of like big dogs, lol. Yours is a priceless experience dax.

I know - everytime we see her and her companions, it's a little magic! I've seen her friend, Terese, but he/she is much more shy with us, and harder to get a pic.

NatureLover, here is a pic of her as an infant at the corn feeder we put out for her in an old birdbath. The stand for it long since broke, but the bowl is on the ground, full of corn - so that's exactly the same spot where she has gone since a baby. We also have a deer lick in the upper property where she headed in that second latest pic. In the winter, we've seen nine at a time, but they definitely are just passing through. We have three acres, about half of which is wooded. Aren't we blessed to be able to live WITH these beautiful animals? I hear so much about the devastation they can cause gardens, but so far we've lost very little in comparison to the joy they give us. Folks have told me that it's because we have a dog (a bassett hound), and so they keep moving through. Who knows, but Flower is very special as she will let us come within 10 feet of her before moving off. This pic was taken on October 22, 2005, so she is two years old now! So COOL! Dax

Has she brought a fawn into your yard yet? She was old enough to have one last year. Also, you may already know this but I will explain just in case. Deer don't really want the carbs in corn during the heat of summer--they prefer that as a winter food. But they will eat sunflower seeds. I put sunflower seeds on the ground around my pole feeder so the ground feeding birds can eat too. Well, our "pet" deer discovered them early this summer and they come by every night to clean up what the birds leave (the feeder is only about 15 feet from our front porch and we can watch them out the guest room window). I started putting out extra for them. Our food plot (mix of wheat and clover) is up real good now and they have started using it but they still stop by the bird feeder for some sunflower seeds first every evening! Two of our does have been bringing their fawns with them for the last month or so--we just love getting to watch them romp around with each other.

Dax - I always smile reading about Flower, she really is something. Thank you for sharing her story and updating!

Naturelover, do you have pictures of your 'pets'?

-Kim

I have some but they are dark. They wait until late to show up--probably because of my dogs. We're planning to set the trail camera up in the food plot so maybe I'll get some in better light that I can post later.

Oh yes, I'd love to see your pics too! And thanks for the info on the sunflower seeds. I can easily replace the corn in the spring as I use sunflower seeds for the birds and squirrels already. Really an all-purpose food, isn't it. I'd better stick with the corn for now as we're headed into the COLD at this point. I'd love to see her with a fawn --- maybe next year!! Dax

Flower is a very pretty girl!

I just found this thread--how blessed you are! I didn't know they liked sunflower seed--we put it in the bird feeders on the front deck, and put corn out behind the house. We've seen deer eat the corn several times, but they always bolt when they see us, even if we're inside watching through the storm door. I'll have to set up a deer feeding station just off in the woods.
How exciting to think you may have "granddeer" some day!

Yes, so exciting, and my DH spotted her and a friend just last night! I didn' get a pic - but I'm sure I'll be able to get them sometime over the winter. She really is a joy to us, as she definitely knows us and allows us closer than normal. Sometimes it's as though she is actually waiting and looking for us to come out and greet her - Dax

Here's a pic of her as a baby when she was drinking from the pond. Don't think I've posted it before, but you can see how close she is -

This message was edited Oct 31, 2007 8:25 AM