Tuesday Twitterdeedum

Bill took off early this morning---riding his bicycle. I think this is the first time he's ridden it to work since we moved out here almost three years ago. Over the weekend, he had some maintenance done and brought home a new streamlined helmet.

He'll be putting in about 25 miles a day as often as possible to get in shape for climbing Mt. St. Helens in July with Annie. That will be a dad-daughter (maybe son) adventure. I decided a while back to stay home and watch the place while he's gone, just as he did for me this past weekend.

I'm sure they'll have a wonderful time, and it will be made more wonderful by the absence of a whiner when it comes to going straight up and straight down. There's no point in making their lives miserable if I can pretty much predict that I would be miserable, so we'll all be happy enjoying our individual comfort zones.

Besides, it will be fun to hear about the adventure and see it documented with Annie's photography. Speaking of which, for anyone who wants to see some sample of her talents, along with some of the zany, off-the-wall action at the Fremont Fair Parade, you can view her collection of photos at http://www.flickr.com/photos/nnlove/sets/72157619938453363/.

Any nakedness aside, she snapped some very artful photos.

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We have an aggressive deer. We think she's the same one who's inhabited our place for the past couple of years. So far in the past month, she's chased Kea out of the woods twice. I saw her in action up close and personal a couple of weeks ago while checking a fenceline along the south side of the woods.

Suddenly, I heard Kea bark that shrill yap, yap reserved for intruders. Suddenly the tables must have turned there in the clumb of trees cuz first came Kea on a dead run and soon, the deer in hot pursuit. I ran behind a tree.

I don't know if she was scared of me or if she decided she'd made her statement, but thankfully, she bolted back into the trees where apparently she had recently given birth to this year's baby.

She made a believer out of me and Kea---for a time.

On Friday, once again, Kea had to take flight when she, Kiwi, Annie Dog and Bill headed for the far end of the woods, with Bill driving the 4-wheeler. Bill said that doe meant business when he saw her take after Kea. He worried about her chasing Annie Dog, since she's about 13 and can't run as fast as the Border Collies.

Fortunately, the deer kept Kea in her headlights and followed her back toward the house where Laurie was riding Lily in the barnyard. Laurie said it was a pretty good distraction for Lily and that she passed the test of keeping her cool during the deer-dog chase.

Sunday night, shortly after I arrived home, we heard the telltale bark from Kea once more. Kiwi, the coward, was hiding inside the garage and watching out the door as Kea leapt in the air and yapped incessantly. She was looking toward the front yard. I got out the door just in time to see the doe wheel and run.

It seemed that she was getting very brazen to come right up to the house. Satisfied that she was gone, I brought dogs in and shut the garage door.

Should've left them out there to bark for a while cuz that naughty deer ate half of my mountain ash tree. It had broken off two years ago during a wild thunder and lightning storm but had rebounded this spring into a very pretty show piece for the front yard.

Not any more. That ol' gal who lives in grass up to her ears in the woods had the audacity to make a feast out of the tree during the night. It's pretty ugly again, and I'm going to have to snip off the top to make it halfway presentable.

We don't know what else that deer has in store for us, but she seems to have the upper hand. We walked through the woods last night looking for her----Bill had a big stick for just in case. She was apparently lying low in preparation for her next assault.

It's always fun this time of the year around here cuz ya never know what's gonna happen with all the critters that pass through or decide to hang their hats for a while. At least, so far, this gal has stayed out of my garden, but there's lots of summer ahead.

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It's time now to go get the hoe and start beating down some weed, which can be every bit as obnoxious as that deer. Problem with them is they never choose to lie low. Instead, they stand proudly and prolifically for all to see and for me to hate.

Off to the garden. Have a great Tuesday. And remember, the deer are watching you and waiting . . . .