Sunday Reflections

All is well in the Keweenaw.

Sunday Reflections

All is well in the Keweenaw.

Sunday Reflections

All is well in the Keweenaw.

Sunday Reflections

All is well in the Keweenaw.

Sunday Reflections

All is well in the Keweenaw.

Sunday Reflections

All is well in the Keweenaw.

Sunday Reflections

All is well in the Keweenaw.

Sunday Reflections

All is well in the Keweenaw.

Sunday Reflections

Spotted this cute doe resting on the hill next to our driveway

as we drove away one day recently!

All is well in the Keweenaw.

Sunday Reflections

All is well in the Keweenaw.

Sunday Reflections

All is well in the Keweenaw.

Sunday Reflections

All is well in the Keweenaw.

Sunday Reflections

All is well in the Keweenaw.

Sunday Reflections

All is well in the Keweenaw.

Sunday Reflections

I couldn't help myself - one last deer photobomb. Can you spot her? In the lower right hand corner? It may help to click on the photo to make it larger.

Our deer have been gone for several weeks now. The snow gets very deep here along the spine of the Keweenaw, so they migrate to areas along the Lake Superior shoreline to spend the rest of the winter where the snow isn't as deep. We refer to it as "yarding up." Those deer yards provide them with shelter, more protection from predators and food. Local clubs even participate in supplemental feeding programs to help these animals make it through our harsh winters. As soon as the snow melts enough in the spring, the girls will be back. Right now, we're missing our daily visits with these beautiful creatures.

I love this verse, as it reminds me that the Lord knows me - everything about me. He knows my name, the number of hairs on my head, and He also knows my heart. This verse then goes on to instruct me to depart from iniquity. Although I'll never be able to live a sinless life, it is surely my responsibility to strive to sin less and less as I live my days here on earth. Yarding up with fellow believers can certainly help me with that!

All is well in the Keweenaw.

Sunday Reflections

All is well in the Keweenaw.

A Humdinger Update - 2

We had another 10" of snow bringing our 3-day total up to 22". That's a little more respectable! The winter weather advisory has been extended until 1:00 tomorrow afternoon. 

Here's a shot from this morning - complete with fresh deer tracks. I know you can't see him, but I promise there's a unicorn buck in this photo. 

I enlarged an image of Unicorn's snowy head for you. Can you spot his single antler on the right?

Unicorn has made frequent appearances this season both in our backyard and on our stealth cam in the woods. 

I love the beauty of the snow, and it's really beginning to pile up now. This is the time of year when I can usually update the Snowfall Chart on a daily basis. No turning back!

All is well in the Keweenaw.

Smarter Than Average

I really hate to brag, but I'm convinced that we have especially exceptional wildlife in the Keweenaw - and I now have photographic proof! 

It's no secret that we have a lot of deer frequenting our yard - sometimes 8 or more at once. The snow is so full of tracks that it resembles a railroad yard. We have 2 does that eat the seed directly out of our purple bird feeder that hangs on a shepherd's hook - like it's a baby bottle. They emptied it in about 20 minutes on Saturday and also ate what seed they could find on the ground under the yellow feeder hanging in the tree. One particular doe kept returning to the feeders all afternoon - probably checking to see if they had been replenished at some point. I saw her staring at the yellow feeder and knew she was probably going to do something I had seen her do on several occasions during the last week, so I grabbed the camera.

I sat in Mr. Cut Off's chair by the sliding doors and waited for a good wide shot. Miss Doe saw me, got a little camera shy, and decided to walk away. I figured she'd be back and kept the camera close at hand. Sure enough! She did come back a bit later. I was working on my laptop in another chair when I glanced up and saw this!

Tippitoes are sometimes necessary!

C'mon, she's surely smarter than your average deer!

I love the look on her face in that last shot. It's like she's saying, "So, whaddya think of that?!"  

And I must say that it's really surprising how long a deer can stand on 2 legs!

All is well in the Keweenaw.

Bursting at the Seams!

What makes a grandpa's heart almost burst at the seams?

When his granddaughter wants him to be the first one she calls when she shoots her first deer!

Photo courtesy of S.M.

And it's an 8 point buck!

We love that girl so much!

All is well in the Keweenaw.

Alive!

Do you remember Chloe? She's the deer who frequents our yard most often and is the only deer we have who has figured out how to eat from our tube bird feeders. If fact, we think she believes that one of the feeders is her personal property. Chloe can be very territorial about our yard - especially in the early spring and late fall when food is more scarce. We've often seen her chase other does away. 

I added a note about Chloe and her new fawn in a blog post back in June. You can read that one here. Mr. Cut Off spotted the new fawn with Chloe just after it was born - wobbly legs and everything. We were certain we would be seeing the two of them in our yard by the end of July, but the days ticked by. . . and nothing. We had spotted Chloe off and on - but no fawn. By last week, we were convinced that something (most likely a wolf) had gotten the fawn. 

I was sitting in the great room yesterday - about 7:50 a.m. Something caught my eye outside. It was a doe coming across the yard from the north. In the background, I saw another doe coming out of the woods in the southwest corner of the yard. It was Chloe! Wait, it gets better! Yep, there was a third deer - Chloe's fawn!

Of course, that's when I realized my camera wasn't next to me. Arrgghh! Luckily, Chloe's territorial nature kicked in and she chased the first doe into the woods. I took the opportunity to get up and snatch the camera - hoping for more action. Sure enough, the first doe came back out - quickly followed by Chloe - followed by the fawn. The first doe raced across the yard again and was out of my sight. Chloe and the fawn stopped and stared at the other doe - probably giving her the old "evil eye." The fawn started feeling pretty comfortable about then and turned toward the house, but Chloe wasn't done yet. Just after I snapped the next photo, she high-tailed it after the first doe one more time - out of my sight - again quickly followed by her precious fawn.

I got up to look what I could see out the window in the dining area. I was able to catch a glimpse of Chloe's white tail and her fawn's white tail as they ran down our 2-track deep into the woods. What a thrill! So glad the little one is alive!

Oh, and I even got a bonus hummingbird in that last shot!

All is well in the Keweenaw.