In memorium: U La La Ulani

Ulani went to meet Oskar at the Rainbow Bridge yesterday. 

Hello, deer!

Well, this photo was really "goodbye, deer!" But it was the only one I got, so it will have to do.

My lawn mower went in for an oil change and blade sharpening on May 7.  I had not cut the grass in a week when it was picked up, but I figured it would be back in a few days and I could cut it then.  Instead, the business that brought it in apparently had a walk-out.  Then when they finally got to my mower last week they broke the blade spindle and needed to wait for the part.  The mower was delivered back to me yesterday, June 2.

You can imagine how long the grass grew!  Luckily I had friends do me the exceptionally good deed of trailering their mower to my house and cutting the grass inside the fence so that the dogs wouldn't disappear!  But outside the fence it is over two feet high.

I cut a path with the string trimmer and then started the slow process of mowing yesterday.

The blade kept getting tangled and I'd have to back off and allow it to chomp up the grass.  I only got one wide path cut from north to south, and the area around the vegetable beds.

Shift to this morning....

I woke before sunrise, but the sky was growing light. The dogs snoozed back-to-back on the bed next to me.  It felt truly indulgent and lazy.  Then suddenly Phoebe slide off the bed and trotted to the window where she likes to watch wildlife. And the barking began.

I sat up in bed and saw what I've never seen before -- two deer standing right next to the fence! I realized that was where the path was.  Even deer prefer the path of less resistance when it's offered!  I jumped from bed to calm Phoebe down, and together we watched the beautiful deer sniff and graze as they slowly made their way from north to south, disappearing behind the barn.

Moments later their scent must have made it through the open window, because Ulani suddenly sprang into action, barking furiously and trying to figure out where they went! So we all got up.  I took a couple of minutes to pull on some clothes (and give the deer a chance to move on).

Once outside, I saw that the deer were now out in the cornfield next to us. That's where I took the photo. And I discovered that we weren't the only ones observing nature this morning!

"Snowy" Owl

My backyard Eastern Screech Owl does not seem at all upset by today's snow.

Morning has Broken, 18

Before the clouds came.

Whooooo's Freezing?

This little Screech Owl nests in a hollow willow trunk just outside my bedroom window.  Last year there was a baby owl.  I'm hoping for a repeat this year!