Where Is Mom

Our retirement land has very little road frontage but it opens up to many acres bordering several square miles of undeveloped wilderness.  In a sense we are isolated but where we live is quiet with frequent animal sightings.  In the past several years it was common to see a doe with twin fawns.  We have no way of knowing if this is her again but we certainly have twins once again.  Raising offspring is sometimes difficult and these two youngsters are unusually active.  What ever mischief one does not think of the other quickly does.  Lately it appears that mom leaves her babies here while she sneaks off for some peace and quiet.  The twins spend a great deal of time here running from one end of the mowed field to the other stopping now and then to explore our garden beds and sampling our plants.  Usually this is not a problem.

We have grown Gull's Wing Siberian Iris for years with no one eating them.  They hold the end of a planting bed making a stunning appearance.  Age has limited our garden time causing weeds to replace many of our plants.  This year these flowers have put on a stunning display for a long period of time. Yesterday morning  an awe inspiring flight of white flowers could be seen from the living room window. I thought to myself when I go outside, I should get a photo of those flowers.  Once outside I promptly forgot all about taking the picture.

Later in the evening Becky remarked about how gorgeous the Gull's wings were today.  Imagine our dismay when we looked out over our garden and saw no white flowers.  How could they be gone?  Nothing has ever eaten them before.  Becky went out to check on the plants. A very few white buds remained, but with the exception of one half-eaten petal, all of the flowers were gone. Little baby fawn footprints left no doubt.  Sometime in broad daylight those twin fawns acting on their own devoured every open blossom.  I was crushed by their loss.  I can only hope that my flowers gave the fawns the squirts.