The last week has been quite the treat around UD‘s forested acre. Walking along one of her paths a few days ago, she stopped to admire a dead vole. Near the vole lay three well-licked plastic containers carelessly discarded by the deer after their last picnic. The deer have begun sleeping out in the open about midway up UD‘s back hill. People walking along Rokeby Avenue gawk at this sight while UD wonders if she could make money charging admission.
A huge grackle visitation yesterday afternoon turned the area around her house into a shriekfest. Grackles are glossy blackbirds with fixed angry eyes. UD‘s permanent residents – the calm and elegant mourning doves, the genial robins and cardinals – made themselves scarce.
UD‘s been gazing with love and concern (will it be okay if there’s a late frost?) at her spice viburnum, in full bloom and scent. A gift from her mother, who wisely told UD to plant it by her front door, this bush is insanely beautiful and fragrant.
UD‘s master plan has always been to tolerate the deer all over her backyard, but to keep them from the front. She yells at them when she sees them trespass toward Rokeby, etc. The master plan is a joke.