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Fall foliage and deer in the backyard.
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It’s a view I never get tired of.
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This is our dark doe. She’s a big girl, and I swear if you put a rack on her she’d easily be a healthy buck.
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The difference between her and our old doe is striking, and sad.
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But to each thing there is a season…
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Some deer and foliage pics…
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Just because.
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Little blue eyed Bambi is a regular now.
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And learning g to pose.
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While mom gobbles up some berries.
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The difference between her and a healthy doe is striking.
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This little buck is hers from last year.
Life goes on…
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I fear for our old, always pregnant, doe.
She had a very late fawn this year and I think it’s taken it’s toll.
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We’ve watch her age and slow down over the past few years, but now?
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The poor girl is skeletal.
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She comes every night for grain and apples, and is now showing up during the day for lunch…. which yes, I provide. She literally just stands there, looking in the window and waiting to be served. How can I not?
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But I think this last Bambi was just too much for her, and I doubt she’ll survive the winter.
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Hopefully blue eyes will continue us to visit after she’s gone.
Life goes on….
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Mother and Bambi.
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Older and youngest fawns.
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And of course, big daddy.
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Fall, the most dangerous time of year for these guys. The rut drains their energy and saps their strength.
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And then there are all those two legged devils with guns.
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Hang in there fellow.
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Run.
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And hide.
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Have you ever noticed how quickly sunsets change?
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I see a pretty one out the window…
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And by the time I grab my camera it’s almost over. Rather like life….
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Fall came early this year.
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And while I do love the colors, peak foliage came too soon.
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What was supposed to pop in October, popped in September.
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And as much as I’m ready for this year to be over, this is one part I wish would last a little longer.
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We hadn’t seen much of mother red squirrel lately, which after the last pregnant photo I took of her.. was a very good thing.
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But she showed up yesterday…
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Looking kind of rough. Motherhood must be taking its toll this time around.
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Now if only I could coordinate her visits with this new addition to the backyard wildlife sightings….
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He could solve all our squirrel problems in one fell swoop.
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The late season Bambi is back and not looking quite so evil this time.
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Eat up little one, winter is coming and you’ve got a lot of pounds to pack on before the white stuff falls.
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The big buck was here as well.
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As was his son from last year whose felt is starting to shed.
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Hard to believe we still have a spotted fawn this late in the year. Makes me worry.
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Fall is here and with such a terribly dry summer the pickings aren’t good.
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The rut will be here shortly.
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And this guy will be very busy.
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Our old doe surprised us recently. She’s been with us for a long time, and every year? She has young.
She was pregnant so often, that’s actually what we call her. Pregnant.
Original? No.
But she didn’t look like a Betty, so go with it.
This year she’s been moving more slowly and looks quite thin. It’s September and we hadn’t seen her with any fawns so we figured that time of her life had passed.
Until yesterday….
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When we looked out and saw her bringing a baby out of the field.
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It’s late in the year to have such a young spotted fawn.
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And to be honest, something about this baby looked…. off.
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At first I couldn’t put my finger on it.
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And then I thought…
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That little sucker just looks….
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Mean.
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Look at this last picture and tell me I’m wrong.
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Go on, I dare you.
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No, it’s not me eating a meatless meat patty or getting down with the free Billy Ocean album the husband’s playing to torment me in his barn, man cave large building filled with crap.
It’s this:
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Eight baby turkeys on the run, headed straight for our bird feeders.
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Momma brought them up for a nosh for the very first time since we’ve lived here.
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And that, my friends…. deserves a blog.
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The little guys were so sweet.
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Scratching the ground and pecking for seed.
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They stayed close to mom.
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And braved the great wide open for a snack.
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When mom looked wary?
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Babies did as well.
And a few seconds after this riveting video that will cause my new found legion of YouTube fans to flee….
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Momma got spooked and gathered her chicks.
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Funny thing was, all the babies ran one way and she ran the other.
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The chicks gathered.
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Huddled, and plopped right down to wait.
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When the coast was clear, momma called.
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They ran back.
And before I could focus?
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Everyone went flying for the woods.
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Okay, we don’t live in the mountains.
But there was fog over the woodchucks this morning…
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So I’m rolling with it.
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My little fellows are quite used to being served breakfast now.
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Spoiled?
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Maybe just a bit.
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