Good evening, Deer!

Two mule deer fawns felt no need to retreat when I raised my camera to photograph them through our dining room window.

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A relaxed and very beautiful visitor

I looked up from folding laundry, and saw this serenely confident doe in our front yard. She waited for me to fetch my camera and take her photo through the window.

For fawning over

This little girl showed up all alone, apparently so we could fawn over her through our dining room window. . .

Sunset on Asotin Slough

We walked this afternoon along Asotin Slough Trail, which runs adjacent to the Snake River, a couple of miles south of the city limits of Asotin, Washington. The setting sun cast its bright reflection in the ditch along the west side of the river; and, we felt most fortunate to observe three female mountain sheep on the basalt cliff bounding  the river’s east side, visible in my husband’s photo below.

 

Life in the deer asylum lane

This buck is not dumb; he is a resourceful asylee. Buck hunting season is open, but not in subdivisions, of course (this is not always obvious to everyone), and specifically not up against our deck.

Faline, this is a front lawn in America. . .

I know, I know: the rural subdivision in which we live encroached on her domain, and now tastier things grow here. But not content with the Great Basin Rye and other wholesome grasses growing on our couple acres, her troop consumes the fruit of our vines and trees, and the Bluebunch wheatgrass to its roots. Still, she looks so natural there, surveying the disputed landscape she reclaims each winter.

Ladyfox: a sequel

Ladyfox loped through our yard this morning as I was dictating an e-mail. I ran to the bedroom window where I could follow her rapid progress through the pasture. It was like a triple configuration of planets: Halvor, my neighbor’s strawberry cat was hunkered down on the path, waiting for a mole to emerge. A pheasant walked up from behind, saw Halvor, appeared somewhat flummoxed, and stood slightly behind Halvor, probably hoping not to be noticed. Then Ladyfox emerged from the vetch, rocketing toward Halvor. Halvor rose and arched his back. I really didn’t want Halvor to be toast. But Ladyfox had a mole in her mouth. She wasn’t after Halvor at all; all she wanted was to keep her mole and she appeared afraid he would take it away. She sidestepped around Halvor with a few dancelike steps, ignored the pheasant in the vetch, and took off with her prey. All she wanted was to get that mole home to her kits. She didn’t have time for any little kinetic actions or territorial disputes. Just get that mole home…. I think Halvor really believes he stood her down.