The Fawns' Vacation Destination: Our Yard!

You'd think we are running some kind of summer camp for fawns! They show up at all times of day; sometimes with their Mama, sometimes without. I have figured out now that we have at least TWO groups of fawns. There is a pair of bigger fawns, one slightly larger than the other. And there is a single, smaller fawn (this one). How to tell them apart? Their spots have different patterns.

On this day, one of the larger fawns strolled through around 3:30 in the afternoon. A few hours later, around 6:30, a Mama doe and her smaller fawn showed up. The fawn snacked around the edge of the yard. The Mama stepped right into Barb's butterfly garden and noshed away.

My husband volunteered to chase them out of Barb's garden, but I don't have the heart for it. Whatever is in there is theirs now. Maybe I should skip trying to make butterfly gardens and just plant green stuff for deer? It might be easier on all of us. Apparently, we are better at attracting deer than attracting butterflies.

There are weeds and big shrubby things growing along the edge of our yard that I meant to pull. But somehow, as I see the fawns eat those plants for lunch or dinner, and use the greenery as cover to sneak around, I decide to let it be. It may not have use, or value, or beauty, to my eye, but the fawns like it. So it stays. (Just who is running this place? you might wonder. Well, I think the answer is obvious! You're looking at 'em!!!!)

Also, there is this: a fawn, when startled, can be counted on to run in one direction: toward the house, and along the edge of the deck, and then UNDER the deck. That is where they stop, and lie down, and hang out. ("We're going to have to start charging them rent," the husband says. But I shake my head. The fawns can do whatever they want.)

"Are there ears under the deck this morning?" We ask each other. So frequently, the answer is Yes. Sometimes small ears. Sometimes big ears. Sometimes a mix. On those days, we tiptoe around the backyard and try not to make loud noises or startle anybody. For YES, we are apparently a nursery for fawns!

My soundtrack song is this one: the Rolling Stones, with Gimme Shelter.