Amazing Deer Story‏

 

 

Marlins' Deer Story

 

 

Eva in the pyramid

 

 

Our 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.

 

 

 Freddy with his first big antlers

 

 

 

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.

 

 

Mama Rose, the matriarch, she taught us the way of the deer,
in winter 2005 she disappeared, passing her throne onto Lisa

 

 

 

We live in the middle of their foraging route, and so it seems okay to sometimes give them a few organic almonds out of our hands.

That's what we had on us when we first met Mama Rose, and the habit's stuck.

 

 

Mama Rose on the balcony

 

 

 

 Marlins in the back yard with nine deer from Mama Rose's family

 

 

Rose and her kin obviously think the yard belongs to them as much as anyone else, and they are just taking advantage of the wealth of natural foods growing everywhere.

 

 

 

Rasa with Eva and her kids

 

 

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.

 

 

 Freddy eating clover flowers

 

 

 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

 

 

 Well, come right in . . .

 

 

 

 Young Ram practices the nose ritual with Rasa

 

Food is of course a major concern, but we also think they visit because they like our company. Often we see deer we don't know nibbling in the yard, but nearly every day some or many of Rose's extended family come by.

 

 

 Lisa ringing the front door bell with her nose

 

 

All of the deer are likely to lay down on the grass and hang out, whether we know them well or not.

 

 

 Lisa explaining the situation to Rasa

 

 

 Rasa explaining the situation to Rosie

 

 

Many of them know us personally, and while often running into the yard to greet us with their quiet enthusiasm, they will also swiftly shy away from strangers.

 

 

Two women sharing a secret

 

Although notoriously skittish, able to leap meters in the air in an instant when startled, a few deer we know, most notably Eva and her kids, will let us touch them as if we were family, letting us scratch them or pick something out of their fur.

 

 

 Could be any afternoon

 

 

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 in to their neighborhood.

 

 

Lisa and Eva looking up to the balcony

 

 

 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 )

 

 

 Young Ram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

from Marilyn...