Our Animals . . .

No, not dogs or cats, we are talking about deer and squirrels.  I cut some branches off the Pyrocantha that surrounds the water well out back.  I had previously cut some Pyrocantha on the South side of the house and piled the branches up in the vacant lot right next to us.  So I picked up some of the branches from around the well area and started across the yard to put the new cut stuff on the old pile of branches.

I saw three squirrels under the bird feeder chowing down on spilled seed.  The Blue Jays and some of the other birds and an errant squirrel usually jump into the feeder and spill it over on to the ground.  The ground is bare there as the feeder is hanging from a branch of the Hackberry tree.  It is easier for them to feed on the open ground there than under the other bird feeders that have grass beneath them.

So I figured as I walked by with the branches the squirrels would leave quickly.  But not so, two these squirrels have become use to us feeding them via the bird feeder.  Do not get me wrong we are not for feeding the tree rats, that's what I call squirrels.  These two Fox squirrels just kept on foraging for seed ignoring me.  I was not moving fast nor was I actually coming at them, but I got with in 10 feet of both of them and they just ignored me and kept on eating.

I had just finished my second trip from the well with a hand full of Pyrocantha limbs and was getting ready to return for the final clean up.  I looked at the squirrels, they kept on eating and then looked over at the old Post Oak tree about half way between me, the squirrels and the well and there stood a young yearling doe.  She looked at me like, "Are you putting out food for me?'  I stopped in my tracks, turned and went around the front of the house and came inside.

I figured I would let them do what they do in peace.  I could get the remaining limbs later in the day.  No need to startle them or scare them off.  After all we are in their territory, not ours, we are just interlopers that can occasionally be counted on for some food scraps to eat on.

The deer are particularly fond of melon rinds, water melon is most common.  Though sometimes we have cantaloupe melon rinds.  Even old grapes, and greens of any kind except of course onions and other herbs.  They do not eat Rosemary, hence we have a lot of that planted and they do not eat chives.  They will on a rare occasion eat parsley, though it is not preferred. Naturally that is what we have growing around the yard.  They will also eat leaves of Crepe Myrtles and low hanging Oak limbs.  We have to have wire cages around Day Lilies, Daises or anything else we like except Vincas which they do not seem to eat.  They ate Tulips right down to the ground, but left the Garlic alone growing right behind the Tulips.  That kinda gives you an idea of what our yard is composed of, plants that deer to not eat.  No style, all driven by the animals.

They have gone beyond the animals being pests, they are sort of our cohabitants in the area.  Last week we had fawn spend the day in the middle of the yard.  Its mother left her there and came back later and got her.  The yard maintenance people spread fertilizer all around her and she just stayed where her mother put her.  The new born fawns are all over the neighborhood.

So I left them in peace and will go out later and finish my job.