Wednesday, May 25, 2022

Another Blessed Beast.

We took most of the day off from the renovation. We made great progress yesterday and decided that we really needed to get up to the retirement property. We have not yet gotten the garden tilled. The grass has yet to be mowed. We had a pile of scrap wood that needed to be burned up. I had my tomatoes and peppers (thanks to Brittani) to get in and a bunch of other planting to get done.  
I was looking very forward to being outside.  I needed a day in the garden. 

Getting out of the truck and heading to the garden, I was startled to see this little thing, curled up beside an ornamental shrub.  

 "Oh, Tim!" I whispered. We both stood watching him. He was wide eyed with terror, but he did not move a muscle. It made me think of terrified children, and I felt sick all over again. 

We backed away, leaving him alone. 

For all his irritation about Mangey, I must say, Tim was completely taken with this guy. He drove the tractor behind the camp, so as not to frighten the little fawn hidden in front of the camp. That knee high grass? Tim decided not to cut it, because he was afraid there might be more fawns hidden in it. We drove the tractor down over to my sister and brother in laws to get the 'community' tiller. We got a deal when we bought a brush hog some years back, and got the tiller as well. We leave it across the road in their equipment shed. Who ever needs a tiller can just bring their tractor over and hook it up, and then put it back when they are done. It's worked out well for everyone for the past 3 or 4 years. 

My sister was home, and we were glad. We needed an extra set of hands to hook up. 

Anyways, we got the garden tilled. It tickled me to see a pair of bluebirds sitting on the fence waiting for their chance to grab a juicy worm as the tiller went by. 

We spent a couple hours on the garden, and decided to let it sit for a couple days and then come back and till one more time before planting on Sunday afternoon. I unloaded my plants into the green house and gave them a good watering. 

The little fawn was still where his mama left him. 

We ate lunch and then went back out to unload the truck. Tim said, "We're not burning the wood. I don't want to scare him." We unloaded it into a neat pile ready to be burned the next time we don't have a fawn in the yard. 

So. 

We did not get nearly as much done as we had intended, but we didn't feel badly about it. 

There's always Sunday. 

When we got home, I saw Mangey. I was glad to see him and called to him, setting out a bowl of food as usual. He took one look at me and tore out of the yard like his tail was on fire. I went out later, and the food sat in the bowl, untouched. It's my fault. I rushed it. I should not have tried to touch him before he'd decided that he trusted me.  


21 comments:

  1. Awwww! He's so cute. Nice of you to give him some space. You probably shocked his mommy Bambi with suddenly working the space around them. Most feral cats stay that way, so you may just have to keep giving Mangey his food and meds without any rewards from him in return. Linda in Kansas

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    Replies
    1. I don't expect a reward from Mangey. I just hoped to see him often enough to monitor his mange, and retreat if necessary.

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  2. I usually see a couple “hidden” fawns every spring but haven’t this year. I think my eye sight is getting worse because it certainly isn’t from the lack of deer.

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    Replies
    1. It has been a while since I've seen one that tiny.

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  3. Okay, I was looking for the fawn again at the end of your post. Fawns are amazing how they can stay completely immobile.

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  4. It is amazing. They are so perfect and tiny. He never moved.

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  5. I wonder what Tim would say if you brought one of those home! Give Mangey his space and ignore him. He will come around when he's ready.

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    1. I was thinking that I should start acting like I don't like cats. That seems to be the kitty magnet.

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  6. What a beautiful little fawn and what an amazing thing to see. I saw a newborn, just born, elk once. Also amazing.
    Mangey's stomach will change his mind sooner or later.

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    Replies
    1. Well...his food dish was still full this morning.

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  7. Beautiful little Bambi. Perhaps he/she will eat some of that grass that you didn't get to mow.

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  8. Cats and fawns in one blog post. Well done you. Leaving a fawn like that must be normal behaviour from what you say. Yeah, what Pixie said about food for the cat.

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    Replies
    1. We all needed a little sweetness today. Mother deer will leave their fawns for hours while they feed.

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  9. Mangey will come around! I love how careful you both were about the fawn.

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    1. Cats are unpredictable, but I hope you're right.

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  10. Sweet little baby. Cows hide their calves the same way and they can be hard to find! -Kelly

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  11. My sister had a cow that gave birth in the most miserable weather, and hid that calf. And then forgot where she left it. After two years of that, the cow was renamed. They called it 'Food'.

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    1. I'll admit they're not the "brightest bulbs". In theory, they should be able to moo a certain way and bring the calf out of hiding. I guess it doesn't always happen that way. -K

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