Pleasant visit by neighbors ... thanks tom & C!

A pleasant visit by neighbors....

Wouldn’t it be great to have a backyard like this one?  A pleasant visit by neighbors sharing a backyard. Eva in the pyramidOur house was built in the deer's natural habitat in a remote rural area. Well worn deer trails cut through the property's abundant pine and sage. The oldest deer we've met (we call her Mama Rose) walked right up to us when we first arrived, sniffing and looking us over. Rose and her kin obviously think the yard belongs to them as much as anyone else. They especially like clover flowers, but it's amazing to see the variety of tasty flowers, leaves, twigs, nuts and berries they'll eat. They stay away from herbs and herbal flowers, but on occasion we've seen young deer eating the sweet medicinal berries of the Juniper tree While often running into the yard to greet us with their quiet enthusiasm, they will also swiftly shy away from strangers. Although notoriously skittish, able to leap meters in the air in an instant when startled, a few deer we know will let us touch them as if we were family, letting us scratch them or pick something out of their fur. Eva even enjoys a hearty back rub! We've certainly learned a lot about how to act around them so as not to disturb them. We think they appreciate our efforts in fitting into their neighborhood. Freddie with his first big antlers Marlin's in the back yard with nine deer from Mama Rose's family Mama Rose, the matriarch, In winter 2005 she disappeared, passing her throne onto Lisa Two women sharing a secret Eva and her kids Freddie eating clover flowers Rasa explaining the situation to Rosie Lisa and Eva looking up to the balcony Young Ram with Marlin Young Ram She doesn't care about the legs or the plastic rat - After the photographer leaves She'll eat one of those pumpkins by the tree Rasa giving Charlotte a third eye massage (when he was very young we thought this guy was female. But when his velvet antler brow first began to appear, and we realized our mistake, we decided to leave him as a buck named Charlotte ) Lisa ringing the front door bell with her nose could be any afternoon Mama Rose on the balcony Young Ram practices the nose ritual with Rasa Well, come right in .. . .young Ram Thank you for reading, feel free to pass this along. Is this not the most precious thing ever? The nicest place to be is in someone's thoughts.