Oh Deer Me!

Recently we discovered yet another attribute of the village. It is an animal sanctuary. This came to our attention after a couple found themselves sharing their home with a flock of buzzards. They too are a protected species. The buzzards I mean. Her husband had convinced her for a while that they were wild turkeys, but alas the truth finally came to light! Fortunately the flock has flown elsewhere to roost. Well, at least for the time being anyway.








Among the fox, bear, mountain lion are the herds of deer. There was a family of deer that crept cautiously into our back yard for a long time. Like clock work they appeared. We don’t know if they were frightened off with all of the construction or the water source behind the house has slowed. We haven’t seen them lately. We see them all over the neighborhood though. Friends have reported a number of twin births. How cool.





Dan says the only things you can hunt in the village are fish and golf balls. He hasn’t fished yet but he has discovered a love for the game of golf. I do have evidence of nightly visits from our deer. As I have blogged about before, I have moved hydrangeas gifted from my mother from place to place. They have survived but just that. I was thrilled to find them finally thriving and more beautiful than ever. That’s when I discovered deer love to eat hydrangeas. They were stripped down to the nubs. At first I was aggravated, and then I could swear I heard my Mother laughing. That of course brought things into perspective.







We find the deer are very patient and selective. They wait until the blooms and leaves are flourishing, strip them and wait for their next feast to re-grow. It has become a cycle we too are finding humor in. Maybe Mom is laughing at the comparison of her heavenly plants and animals. No doubt our earthly ones pale in comparison. In any case, the plants are more precious now. They are not just amusing deer fodder, they are a constant reminder—we are still being watched over by heaven. Thanks Mom. I hope you will keep laughing with us.







For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers,neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:38-39