This beast is mid-rutting season, haunting my neighborhood looking to get lucky. He chases "anything in skirts" and the ladies can't get away from him fast enough. They run behind fences, tree trunks, across streets and into the creek. She is elusive and he is randy.
I don't understand it. Why aren't the gals eager for a roll in the hay with this magnificent speciman of horniness? Did he not get the memo that dinner and a movie helps to set a mood? Did he send flowers, buy candy? How do they decide to get it on and do the deed? Is it always kind of like rape, or is there a perfect mate out there for everyone?
I actually observed this momentous occasion one afternoon when he found his true love. He must have spent five minutes carefully lapping her bottom. Then he jumps up to the area and bam. Like a one-shot cannon--slam, bam, thank you ma'am. One whack and he's done. Was it good for you too? Must have been, because they went their separate ways, no harm, no foul. He didn't hang around for breakfast.
I thought to myself, why am I being such a voyeur, peeping Tom sort of person, but I lived on a farm in my early life and got used to nature's ways. Never before having observed a white-tailed deer getting it on, I admit that I was spellbound to watch creation in my backyard. Then, I had to laugh when I saw the Lothario settle down for a long nap. Something connected to those testosterone genes that says nap required.
As the seasons come and go, I see all of them through my office windows. I placed my desk in front of my triple bay windows so that I can view the great outdoors. I placed my computer monitor to the side of my desk so that it doesn't obstruct my view. The CPU is off to the opposite side of the desk so I have room to place the little trinkets, mugs and photos that are important to me. I can't imagine placing a desk to face a wall or the inside of the room with the windows behind me. I prefer spending computer time during the day when the curtains are open and I can see outside.
Wool gathering is a favorite past time so when my fingers pause on the keyboard of my computer, I can watch the leaves fluttering on the trees or glimpse the hummingbird at the feeder in front of the window. Sometimes, the deer, hawks, or a pretty red fox catch my eye so I stop whatever has my attention on the computer to thoroughly enjoy the busy world of nature outside my windows.
This set of windows faces north but they are triple pane which is not quite as energy-efficient as an insulated wall. Nevertheless, I love houses with lots of windows. Closed-in spaces are very boring, and depressing to me. It makes sense to me that life outside my window can be very interesting even when I am spending time at the computer.
Yes, yes--messy desk. I'm spending this week cleaning up my office and taming the piles of paper and boxes of unimportant stuff that I haven't looked at in five years. It is time to clear the room to host holiday guests and it is a good excuse to tame the clutter.
Isn't this guy gorgeous! I was in awe when I photographed him in the middle of my driveway but today, I might shoot him if I had a chance.
I've always loved trees and I am fortunate to live in a forest. The only downside is that we share those woods with many, many, many deer. The fawns are cute when they are fifteen inches high and wobbly on their legs. Then they grow up and stack antlers on their heads so they can run at each other and fight for the right to create more fawns. They eat amazing amounts of greenery and there is no way to stop them. The young tree seedlings are consumed and now we live in a forest that is more like a canopy of a rain forest. Forget trying to plant the flowers I love because deer have no respect and seem to prefer eating flowers rather than anything green.
Last week, I tossed storm damage deadwood away from the house. Yesterday, my right arm and side were very sore. This morning, I had a huge red bull's eye rash on my right side--amazingly good description. So off to the doctor for Lyme Disease treatment. I have always been a bug magnet for some strange reason and I need patches to wear on my skin to repel bugs, but I haven't found any in drugstores. Instead, I spray DEET on a tissue and pat exposed skin--face and arms. However, the bull's eye rash is under my clothes. The little buggers are impossible to repel. I understand the chemicals in DEET aren't very healthy so I avoid it when I can, but I can't take a bath in it if I walk outside. If I walk down the driveway to the mailbox, the bugs start to bother me before I get back to the house, so I shouldn't be surprised that a little time in the yard resulted in a deer tick bite. This is another good reason that I avoid camping.
Lyme Disease isn't a condition to treat casually and can result in serious health issues, so it really annoys me to have to deal with it. Years ago, my husband had treatment with antibiotics for four weeks for Lyme after we had a trip to Cape Cod. We didn't have to drive that far to find it, we live in the middle of prime territory for this disease. Aside for that obvious problem, I still like many things about living in this region.
I'm not a person to get sick very often because it annoys me to have to deal with my health. I am fortunate that I am usually healthy since I have no patience with interrupting what I want to do because of health issues. My doctor assures me that after three weeks of antibiotics I should have no lasting effects and the medication shouldn't create any problems as long as I religiously take it. Even with the danger of tick bites, I love the warm weather and spending time outdoors after the severe winter we had. I'm not picking up tar balls from an oil spill so it could be worse.
