Winter Friends

The horse corn mentioned in the previous post was purchased for some of our winter friends. It is sometimes also called deer corn which is exactly who we intended it for. Some people think of deer as just pests and believe me come summer, I will be at war with these four legged lawn mowers. The battle lines will be drawn and I will be searching the garden center's for new and more potent forms of deer repellent.

For now though we are the best of friends. There are no tomatoes, string beans, parsley or sunflowers to defend and I'm not one to quarrel over who eats the bird seed. It's as much of a pleasure to see a deer or squirrel at the bird feeder, as it is to watch the birds. No bird watching purist here.

When we got home we threw out a few ears and later in the day were rewarded with a visit from a group of males of all ages. It always strikes me as odd that boys hang together, maybe that too is a winter thing.

Later the girls and this years babies showed up, including my favorite female (pictured). I think I know her by her features now, but it may just be her boldness. She is forever passing by looking in the back windows to see if I am around. When she spots me, she gives me an inquiring look which is generally rewarded with an apple, piece of bread, or now in the deepest winter, an ear of corn. I like to think she views me as a friend.