Tuesday, October 14, 2008

Ah....all cuddly and sweet

Strange day in the "country".

I'm about to go and torture myself run 6+ miles up and down hills and what do I see approaching my almost empty birdbath in the front yard? Did you say a bird? Uh, no. A mommy deer and her babies. There is a wooded area across from my house. Lots of critters hang out there but I've never seen the deer. It's been dry lately so I guess they are getting desperate for water.

I took a picture with my cell phone and it was so bad I couldn't even post it. I had to take it thru a window because I knew that if I went outside they would be gone faster than dark chocolate in a room full of women (Yes, I resemble that). Hubby has an awesome camera but it was packed away and I'm lucky if I can find the "on" button. I had to have a picture though so this is what you get. Use your imagination.

I can hear the gears turning in some of your heads. You're picturing yourself with a shotgun holed up in the ditch across the street from my house. (You know who you are and I'll be watching for you).

They were so cute! Hubby, Hubby, can I keep them?

They were gone in a flash when a big pickup drove down our street. I refilled my birdbath and hoped they would come back later.

So I finally made it out the door for the run and find my neighbor walking thru our backyard. She's wearing sandals and carrying a stick in case she sees a snake. Hum.....wouldn't boots or at least real shoes be better than the flip-flops? She's looking for her sweet and innocent kitten. I say kitten but when she grows up, there won't be any mice, moles, bunnies, squirrels, coyotes or bears left in this neighborhood.

During my run, I was chased by strange-looking cat. It looked like a mix of tuxedo and calico. I hope it has a good hiding place for Halloween night.

In a sing-song voice oozing with sweetness I said "Ah, what a sweet purty furrball you are". Then I noticed it chasing me. I guess I was a big juicy sticky mouse-thingy running away. PLAY TIME! After all, the humidity felt like 110% and I was sweating pretty good by then. It lost its nerve when a truck came around the corner. Ha! I win again.

I'm used to barking dogs and I've been mistaken for a snack at least twice but a cat? Weird.

Last week a DirectTV van nearly creamed me. Note to self: Do not ever sign-up for their service!

Finally, here's another "Ahhhh" moment. This past summer was great for the hummingbirds. What amazing creatures they are. We have Lantanas blooming close to the house. After stalking them for weeks, we finally got our pictures!












Enjoy!

9 comments:

Ed & Jeanne said...

Two of my famous animal stories happened while running. The first was when a falcon attacked me in a normal neighborhood in the Bay area in California. It kept diving and clawing me; I was frantically trying to get a neighbor to open their door. Then, several years later I ran right into a deer in the middle of the road. It was pitch black. I thought deer could see in the dark? Maybe it was messing with me...

Deb said...

So YOU have my hummingbirds! Mine took off about a month ago and now the winter birds are here. No deer in my yard, just the typical pesky critters like skunk and raccoon, and occasionally my 85-year-old skin head neighbor. I do have a fox though. Occasionally a moose will wander in to town when totally lost. My biggest fear (after Jaws) is hitting one of those things with my car.

ReformingGeek said...

@ve - Yikes, a falcon? I've seen hawks up close but they just fly away. As for the deer collision, ouch?

@deb - Yep but they're gone now. I have not seen our fox in a while. Moose? That's cool and a bit scary. They are so big!

Chat Blanc said...

it's like you live in a very surreal and sometimes dangerous zoo! ;) watch out for those attack cats on your next run! :D

It's me said...

Um, I guess they probably do SOMEPLACE, but most people use a rifle for deer. With a shotgun you'd need slugs and I'm not sure how many places that's legal. Kansas for one.

They are good eating. I'm just sayin'... if you eat meat, somebody's gonna die, whether it's Mr. Moo cow who lives in a filthy stockyard or Mr. Deer who (up until the moment he becomes dinner) lives a pretty good life just hanging around, doing deer sorta stuff.

Unknown said...

Who knew that the cats would be more aggressive than the snakes? :) We have a local blue jay who's declared war on the neighbor cat. Swoops down and nips her tail.

The cat, she's nervous now. Very nervous. :)

ReformingGeek said...

@chat blanc - No cats on recent runs!!

@meadowlark - You can tell I'm no hunter. I don't like to think about the process of killing the meet. Although deer are "cute", they are definitely harmful to your garden munching on your plants.

@jenn - That's right. The blue jays can be vicious. Our cat is afraid of them too.

dadthedude said...

ok, I'll say it... looked like dinner and a couple of beef jerky snacks.

ReformingGeek said...

@dude: But.....they're MY deer. ;-(


"1.00s, 1.50s, 1.75s for the short arms. If you know what I'm talking about, you're probably old, too."

"Boomer brain fog: What was the last, middle, and first part of what you just said to me?"