LOOK WHO CAME FOR DINNER!

I am an animal lover and deer are no exception. Deer eating the apples I put out for them is a common sight in my front yard. I took this picture from the window of my house. One of the deer caught me taking the picture because it is looking right at my phone, which is how I take pictures. It is almost as if it is saying to me “You know, you are interrupting our meal!" I know many people all over the country have deer in their yards. This is nothing out of the ordinary. I live in Pennsylvania right below a wooded area so I see deer all the time all year long. I have been lucky enough to see this sight my entire life and it never gets old. They are such beautiful animals. In fact, I feel guilty if I don't have something in the yard for them to eat every day.

My father and grandfather were not hunters so I don’t know much about deer hunting. Both my sisters married men who hunt and some of my nieces and nephews are hunters as well. They hunt mostly in the woods behind my house. It makes me sad when I look at my dinner guests wondering which ones might not make it back for dinner the next day. One time when my grandmother was still living she was taking her afternoon nap and our house has a deck on the front. She was napping on one side of the wall and there was a deer napping on the deck on the other side of the wall! My grandmother didn’t even know it. As it turns out, my brother-in- law was hunting and injured the deer so the deer ran out of the woods and decided to take an afternoon nap too. I don’t know what ever happened to the injured deer...I did not want to know so I never asked. Of course, I was hoping the injuries weren’t serious and that the deer would be okay.

There have also been bears in our front yard but, unfortunately, I did not get any pictures. Years ago one summer there was a mother bear and three cubs in the area. I would see the mother bear in the yard once a month for about a week at a time. It was always there early in the morning before I went to work. She was always eating the bird seed out of my bird feeder. Other people in our small community saw the bear family as well. It was the talk of the town! I was disappointed I never saw any of the cubs in my yard but my grandmother did one day. When I got home from work she told me she saw one of the cubs in the yard while she was eating her breakfast. She said it was so cute because it tried so hard but was too little to reach the bird feeder. I was so disappointed I missed seeing such an adorable sight.

The last time I saw the bear and her three little cubs was when I was driving to work early one morning. The mother bear and one of the cubs crossed the road right in front of my car. Actually, I had to stop to let them cross safely. Then I looked in the direction where they came from and there were the other two cubs debating on whether to cross the road because they were scared. That sight of the bear family really made my day! 🐻

Last year I was also lucky enough to find a liter of bunny rabbits in my back yard. I was cutting the grass and I was so happy that I spotted them in their little nest before I cut that section of the grass. Again, I didn’t take pictures of them. It seems like I never have my phone with me when I need to take a picture. Anyhow, those bunnies were adorable and I am so thankful I got to see them.

I live in an area where there are many farms. My cousin has a farm that I visit often and my father‘s best friend also owned a farm. He sadly passed away but his children still operate the farm today. I really enjoy visiting both beautiful, well cared for farms.

One late summer afternoon in 2020 I went for a visit to my friend’s farm with my nieces and nephews and I took this picture. I just love visiting farms. I find them to be so peaceful and relaxing. My cousin, who lives on a farm, and who I mentioned earlier, pointed out that I could never live on a farm because I would never harm an animal! She definitely has a point. One time she took me to see where the chickens lived and they had two separate sections. I couldn’t figure out why they had the chickens separated and then she broke the news to me...one group of chickens lays the eggs and the other group of chickens are for dinner! Of course, I couldn’t get out of the barn fast enough. I do not eat meat and I haven’t eaten it since 1984 when I was only 17 years old.

I don’t expect to win the Capture the Wild Challenge because my photography isn’t that great but I enjoyed writing this article and sharing my love of animals and farms. I could never kill an animal but I suppose I could sell milk and eggs! One reason I love living in rural Pennsylvania is the scenery, I love going for rides and looking at the beautiful farms. I am very lucky to have both a cousin and a friend who own a farm because they are always welcoming and invite me to visit often.