March Heat Wave

It was wonderful to work outside in the summerlike temperatures today.  This cluster of Jacob's Ladder has been in the shade garden near the house for many years.  If we soon find a new spot for some of the younger plants, a move would be in order.  This has proven to be a hardy and beautiful native plant.

This Winter Aconite is not native here but its early bright yellow flowers lift our spirits.  This plant has self seeded in the lawn and its open flower is ahead of others previously planted in the gardens.

Snow Drops are another nonnative plant that simply had to be set out in our shade garden near the road.  Placed just inside of the path defining stones we have a pure white line of open flowers when little else has even made an appearance at this time.

 This is our small patch of native Arbutus that were growing here when we bought the land more than a quarter of a century ago.  Some years we could find sweet flowers while the plant seemed to have disappeared many other years.  This patch taught us that wild animals feed on this evergreen plant and protection is in order.  Chewed to the ground several times somehow these plants regrew.  Now a wire cage keeps them safe.

Three days ago we discovered the remains of a deer quite close to the house.  Coyotes have harvested our deer in the past but never before this close to the house.  We did make a close inspection of the various body parts scattered about.  White hair under the chin suggested that this was an old deer.  We expected that we would have to clean up the less desirable body parts scattered about but left the site just as we found it.  That night Becky heard unusual noises outside of the bedroom window.  She carefully opened a window just a crack and listened to what sounded like conversation between the coyotes.  The following morning we went out with tools and buckets expecting to clean up the less appealing body parts.  The only objects remaining were the tufts of hair pictured above.  A well chewed nearly clean section including backbone and the rib cage had been dragged away from the house.  We expect a return visit tonight with another meal taken.  It is likely that we will not be able to find any body parts tomorrow.  We have found fresh kills before and always have quickly left the area.  One amazing event that we did witness this time was two of the dead deer's companions feeding quite close to the remains.  It would appear that wild animals see death as a normal component of life. 

It is not uncommon for our first Deer Tick encounter to occur in March.  Our recent experience was uncommon in that the tick was not found on our body.  It was seen leisurely swimming across the toilet bowl water.  Go figure.