Welcome to Bugs and Brooms!

As most of you know, we live ‘out’.  I don’t really consider us very rural since we do have neighbors around (though none that we can see) and a great park just down the road for Lake Monroe.  But my critter stories have revealed that we are not living in a downtown or suburban location.

Several evenings over the past week or so have given us a touch of nature.  We have been spending time in the garden each afternoon weeding and watering (I know, lots of rain until recently and now we are having the drag the water hose to the garden to make sure our veggies survive the heat) and just checking on the progress of our plantings (good news to report later on).  When the mosquitoes overtake us, I bring DD indoors and start getting her ready for bed.  DH has interrupted our routine several nights!  He comes tiptoeing into the house, whispering urgently for us to follow him back outside.  These adventures have given us some great scenes of deer crossing our fields as they leave one area of dense woods for another.  We have had to put up some ‘protection’ for our garden in the form of garden stakes and caution tape, in an effort to keep our lovely deer from munching on our tender vegetables.  We have already had a couple of corn and bean plants meet an early demise thanks to our foragers. 

But the other night was something extra special.  I had just gotten DD out of the tub and was rocking her and telling her stories while she cuddled for warmth under the oversized towel.  DH came in the house in his usual navy seal approach.  I resisted his pleas to go outside again because DD was naked and the mosquitoes truly love her (I mean LOVE).  But he was practically pleading and I caved.  I wrapped DD tightly in the towel hoping that no skin was exposed.  When we got outside we were treated to an incredible display of youth!  Two fawn (twins) were chasing each other in circles while their ever watchful mother observed and snacked on the newly mowed hay!  The two deer were jumping high into the air and running at top speed while throwing their heels high into the air!  It was beautiful to watch these young, spotted animals play so happily!  And they, and their mother, didn’t seem to care that we were watching.  And this play lasted a good 10 minutes!  What a wonderful priviledge to see something so wild and free and right out our front door.

DH and I have seen plenty of wildlife in our travels (especially when we lived in Colorado - mule deer were everywhere and you didn’t have to drive very far to see Elk and Big Horn Sheep).  But DD is young and her nature observations have been limited to zoos and nature preserves.  At least until we moved here. 

I am so thankful that she can experience this environment and learn to appreciate it at such a young age.  What a wonderful way to teach her to appreciate her world and to care for it - she sees it thriving and she wants to jump in and enjoy the fun.  She would have just ran over and joined in the game of chase that these little fawn were playing.  I hope that she always has the opportunity to see nature at its best and purest.  I hope she has a lifetime of watching nature and the world around her in all of its beauty.  I hope that she will always want to jump from my arms and run to play with the deer….

Tags: 'Farm life', Family and Friends, Gardening, Parenting, Simple Living, nature //