Deer Herders

Not quite, but close. Maybe "Panic in the Forest" might be more appropriate, or "The Deer Stalkers"! It wasn't funky plaid hats floating through the forest, just Cooper and I on a long enjoyable ride. At 9:00 yesterday morning, I put down my sewing, grabbed my mount of choice and hit the trails. We've had a cool down the past few days (I guess buying an A/C it was almost a given I wouldn't need it.), and the weather was perfect. Cooper had obviously been daydreaming about Seabiscuit or Seattle Slew and was awfully perky. I let him have his way with the speed control and just enjoyed whatever pace he set. He self settled into his usual mosey after a few good long steep hills. No matter what the speed, everywhere we went we rousted deer from resting or grazing spots. Bucks, does with fawns and those without. I don't think we went 50 yards without someone bounding away in front of us or to the side. The ride was packed with excitement and beauty and we enjoyed two hours on both deer trails and our regular routes. Gene said 6 deer raced across our driveway about a minute or so before we pranced onto it. He knew we were coming even before he heard the bells or saw us in the trees. We had finished the last 30 minutes on the halter only. Good old Mr. Reliable!

One of the hot nights earlier in the week we had gone out to dinner up at Howard Prairie.



The meal was unremarkable, but the views spectacular.



 It's a big, beautiful mountain lake, full of fish, eagles and plenty of other wildlife. The lake itself is man made, part of the irrigation project for the valley and was built the same year I was. 1958!



It's 6 miles long and a mile wide in parts. There are about 250 camp sites but the majority of the area surrounding the lake is untouched except for trails and is a magnet for wildlife. If I rode the irrigation road the 12 plus miles from my house, I would end up on the far (south) end of Howard Prairie.

There has been some stash building over the last couple of weeks.



 Obviously the cooler colors and hues have been popular, but still a pop of something warm and fallish. This Tina Givens cotton print was on sale and with an eye towards cooler weather I snatched it up.



 Besides, I'm not one to shy away from whimsical prints, and I loved the fox floating on the kites in it. The printed pale Robin's Egg blue fabric is a rayon crepe.



 I've visited with it often and when the roll started to get low I figured I better not tarry if I wanted some. Three yards came home with me (along with a yard piece of linen in the same lovely shade of blue). Enough to make whatever I decide and maybe then some. The rest are all cottons, the grey a nice bodied organic.

Dog walks in the woods are out for now. The fox tails are out with a vengeance so all walks are now on the true paths or roads and on leash only. It's just as well, the wild life around the house is active and I don't need to go chasing after a dog chasing after a deer or turkey. Late afternoon yesterday I was sitting on the back deck, sipping a beer. In 20 minutes I saw does, fawns, our grey fox and a hen turkey with a whole pack of chicks, peeping and cheeping through the woods. I really should remember to bring the camera out with me but I'll leave you with these as parting shots. I AM loving my zoom lens.

Fawn: Unaware


Fawn: Aware