Long time, no post

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I wasn’t swept away by the river and didn’t fall off the edge of a cliff (none nearby), but it sure has been a long time since my last post. And yet, surprisingly LOL, the world kept turning and tilting as we move towards autumn. I’ve noticed that the days are shorter and most mornings are cooler. Soon I’ll be posting the colors of fall–if I can get back to posting regularly.

As always, the deer come regularly, especially in the mornings. I wouldn’t be surprised to have a couple of them come into the basement while I’m slicing apples and putting corn in the bucket. And those same ones–Big Mama and one of her last year’s fawns, Johnnie–sometimes try to eat from the bucket as I walk down the hill to the meadow. (I discourage this; if you’ve ever visited, you’ll know that going down the hill is not an easy task, especially with a bucket of corn and apples.)

And there are fawns. I’m still waiting for one to discover how good an apple tastes compared to the leaves and grasses they eat. There are at least two sets of twins, and Spooky’s two often hang out with Lil Girl’s one. (She and her fawn sometimes nap and chew their cuds along a path near the house.) I’m looking forward to seeing fawns racing in the meadow soon!

Western North Carolina is home to a sizable population of black bears (Ursus americanus). especially in the City of Asheville (https://wildlife.org/bears-in-asheville-are-heavier-and-having-cubs-earlier-than-rural-bears/). We have had a few bears in the Hollow, but most seem to be just passing through. They have broken bird feeders, shepherd’s hooks, and an apple tree, and I don’t like them around my house. I now bring all feeders in nightly and have air horns to scare a bear if I see one near my house or while walking. However, I faced a dilemma a few mornings ago when I spied a young bear walking through the meadow. My guests were still sleeping, and I knew the bear would be gone by the time I went upstairs to wake them. Fortunately, the deer had already eaten everything and left, and I let this bear leave on its own (making sure that it kept going away from my house).

I heard thunder a little while ago, and Gertie, the older rescue cat who joined the family earlier this year, is hiding, so I know a storm must be coming. I’m relieved to be able to post something today, and I’ll try to find time to write about flora and other fauna another time.