Let Me Introduce You

A lot of you already have heard about and met Baby Bambi.  But just in case you missed out let me introduce you.  One afternoon a few weeks ago a fawn wondered out of the woods in search of it's mother.  This happens from time to time.  A mother deer will wander off for a few hours to graze and then come back to feed it's fawn before wandering off again.  We thought the fawn woke up and went searching out of impatience.  So my husband took it back into the woods and stayed with it until it bedded down, hoping the mother would come back through that night and collect it. 

 the next day my son went over to check on it and it was gone so we thought for certain the mother had come back through and they left the area since they could smell our scent in that part of the woods.

But that afternoon we could hear it bleating.  We went to check on it and it was weaker than the day before and was obviously hungry.

So we took it up to the house to try to get it to eat while I called around to see what could be done.  After numerous phone calls and phone tag and speaking with park rangers at Natches Trace that is in our area, we finally got in touch with Walden Puddle in Middle Tennessee.  Oddly enough we don't have anything local capable of handling cases like this even though we are country smack dab in the middle of two large cities. And remember Natchez Trace is just twenty minutes away!  Ok enough harping.....sorry.  I just wanted this little guy to have a chance.  Life had already thrown him a few curves in the short time he had been here and no one seemed to be cooperating. 

Back to the story..... Walden Puddle takes orphaned animals and releases them back into the wild once they are ready. But they wouldn't be able to take it until Monday and this was Friday evening.  They gave us a number for a lady that is affiliated with them that could take him the next day and in a week he would be at Waddle Puddle in an arena with others just like him. 

In the mean time we had to bottle feed him and I have to say he took to it right away.  I was amazed at how quickly he adapted. 

Once at the arena the bottles get loaded into a feeder and hand feeding is ceased and human contact limited. Once old enough they are released back into the wild in a herd with at least one skittish deer that will continue to teach the others to be cautious.

Finally he's getting the chance he deserves.

He was such a precious visitor and a once in a lifetime experience!

Until next time....Kristi

Note:  a mother deer rejecting the fawn because of human contact is just an old wive's tale.  Plus after twelve hours of monitoring the fawn and proving it is indeed an orphan you can intervene.  We were also instructed after establishing it being abandoned to pen it for the safety of the fawn and also to keep it's feeding schedule regulated until it could be transported to the facility.  We tried to adhere to the laws while taking care of this beautiful creation.

(How I'd Like) To Kill A Mockingbird

For the last couple of weeks my lack of sleep has suffered even more thanks to a mockingbird.  He starts in the same time every night and ends around the same time.  I have tried to come up with solutions but none really seem plausible.  I've even entertained ideas of firing rocket launchers with the end result being that of Princess Fiona's bird after singing to it-just a pair of sizzling feet and a few feathers. 

So while laying there last night staring up at the ceiling, having given up on one website's suggestion to let the song lull you to sleep, I go online and search for the reason this is happening.

Only bachelor mockingbirds sing.  The nightly singing is a love song, a serenade to lure a mate and once having found a mate the nightly singing stops.  My first thought was...umm hmm, typical male.  But anyway my next thought was this being mother nature's show it shouldn't be long before it ends.  But then thinking on how much time has already passed, I've come to the conclusion: we are short on single lady mockingbirds or we have one unattractive bird!  Of course my mind doesn't stop there and it takes the scenic route, gets lost a few times, but finally makes the full circle.  The reason for this being....he's singing at night and not getting his beauty rest!

And sadly neither am I!

Me and this bird may be together for a long time!

Please Release Me

A neighbor mentioned the other day that it seemed the red oaks were dying out. It was puzzling to him. I thought it must be because they never rest. While the other trees shed their leaves in fall, the red oak clings to the leaves of a year gone by. Though brown and brittle they hold on to the carcass of a memory all through the winter months finally releasing their hold when new buds begin and force them to relax their grip. They exhaust themselves hanging on to the past instead of shedding it and embracing 'what will be, will be'.  There's a lesson in there about hanging on to the useless. Be it bitterness or disappointment. Be it resentment or anger. Be it fear or guilt. Whatever it is , what peace we could feel if by releasing them and letting the winds take them off out from under foot. Then a good long slumber snug against the cold of winter to awaken in the spring refreshed and ready to embrace the birth of the new. Until next time......Kristi.

Ahem........Attention Every One!!

There was a stout wind yesterday where we live. It felt as if it could pick you up and carry you away at any moment. Later in the day we took to the woods, my favorite place to be. I was standing on the top of a ridge when once again the wind began to blow. It surged through the trees, getting dissected and divided by tree tops and limbs. The roar was deafening at first; so much so i stopped what i working on. As i watched the trees dancing, the sound that had startled me no longer seemed eerie but melodious. I watched and listened as long as I could before it dissipated. I love those moments that cause us to stop and take notice. Mother nature will not be ignored. She has ways of getting our attention. Until next time.....Kristi.

Get Your Shine On!

Mother Nature's Bling Bling
Pretty isn't it? HE sure knew what HE was doing when HE decided to accessorize!