Pruning the roses

After another grey, wet day with no escape from the office at lunchtime, I was a bit blipless when I came home. I drove into the lane and there was the roe doe standing in front of me. She is completely unspooked by the car, advancing towards me before I switched off the engine. Meanwhile Bob the Cat was doing his usual dance round the car, perfectly unbothered by her. She moved into the drive and started browsing the roses. It was only when I tried to open the window for a clearer shot that she took fright and disappeared across the road and over the wall of a neighbour's garden.

We have two roe regularly visiting us, a buck and this doe. The doe is easily recognisable by her torn left ear seen here, she also has a bit of a lump on her jaw. Today, I thought she was looking a bit skinny and not in such good health as the buck.

Roe deer are one of our two native species (the red deer being the other), and they are doing well across the country. They are a species of open country rather than woodland, and do surprisingly well in close proximity to people.

I've managed to protect our vegetable beds which are in a less accessible part of the garden, and we don't resent them a few rose shoots and Hostas.

The target is to get a picture of her and Bob the Cat together, now that would be a good blip.