Thursday, March 26, 2009

It's a Spring Thing


While I realize it is bad Karma and so anti-Zen and certainly not Feng Shui and definitely expensive to put up this deer fence, my greatest love in retirement it to plant stuff and watch it grow. Therefore the front yard is now completely enclosed from deer. (Don't get me started on how raccoons, fox, possums, and squirrels can climb this netting and now rabbits can dig under. My first battle is with the deer.)

The fence is done and the gates are up and the young man who assisted told us this little space beneath the gate that appeared due to the drop of the side yard was too large and deer would crawl under and get in. So now we have
to come up with an attractive looking guard to cover this area. I guess I have seen deer duck beneath deadfall in the woods.

I removed one of the plastic owls from the dock and brought it back to the deck to see if that would discourage Don Quixote from taping at the bottom of this door which leads to our bedroom. Jury is still out on that. Hubby did catch him tapping at the very top of the window the other morning avoiding the bottom of the door.

The yellows are abundant including these hardy dandelions in the far yard by the woodpile. I learned by watching in Yellowstone National Park that brown bears love to eat these flowers in the spring. (Please click on the above photo for a real sunshine experience.)

And finally I must mention the true sign of spring for which I have no photo, thank goodness. When I opened the front door to call my husband to dinner I caught him standing in the vegetable garden in muddy clothes with shovel in hand and a stupid smile on his face staring off in to the woods on the other side of the fence. He broke his reverie to tell me I had to come outside and see what he saw. What, I asked, unwilling to put on shoes to cross the yard for something that would amaze his mind.

He looked up and called back,"Want to come see a pair of rabbits mating?"

Having a daughter who had raised lops as a child I had seen enough of rabbit mating to last a lifetime, but he explained that what had caught his eye was their play behavior. They were cavorting and turning somersaults and chasing each other around the ravine, and acting really crazy --- not consummating.

Yep, spring seems to turn all minds to mush.


10 comments:

  1. Anonymous8:25 AM

    Everyone I know is fencing in their gardens this year!

    If the owl doesn't work there, try hanging it hear the window so it moves occasional. That did the trick for us with one persistent cardinal.

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  2. Yep, we have fenced our garden as well. We fenced it last year but left gaps that the chickens just walked through. Their wings are clipped so they can't fly over and this year we have smaller wire all around.

    I could just see my spouse standing in our garden with the same goofy smile. Boys do love to play in the dirt!

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  3. So, Granny Annie, the chickens are eating more than the bugs? I suggested to hubby he get the cover off of the lettuce and spinach earlier this morning to give the rabbits a fighting chance.

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  4. Love the 'rabbit story'....watch out, girl!
    : )

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  5. what a springtime you are having already! those dandelions don't stay around our gardens long enough to feed anyone, but the local bears should be thrilled to lunch near us where neighbors let them run wild along the street's edge. (i am still hoping for my first bear sighting as long as i am in my car!)

    we have never seen rabbits mating...that would really tickle us!

    we saw cardinals when we were in GA recently...miss them so much out here. i can't believe it is all starting up again. :)

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  6. I never knew rabbits had foreplay. ;) That picture enlarged was stunning. Dave fences in the veggies along with the fruit trees but that deer fence spray works for us out front and by the waterfall. Happy spring.

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  7. I'd love to see deer regularly. And frolicking bunnies. You live in wonderland! ;)

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  8. Aw, I'd like to see the bunny's foreplay!

    That dandelion was gorgeous and I love the tiny loops at the ends of the petals.

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  9. In the Philippines, in the country where I grew up, it's hot and humid the whole year round. So when I came to Japan and saw various flowers in springtime, including cherry blossoms and dandelions, it became my favorite season.

    By the way, if you had taken a photo of the rabbits, would you post it here? Lol. :)

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  10. That dandelion was gorgeous, Terrific bright yellow!!

    And those rabbits - that was something to see - who knew - foreplay - they are not dumb bunnies after all. ;-)

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