Baby deer and Baby Groundhogs

Seeing the young of wild animals is intriguing to me.  Early one morning last week as I sat having my breakfast, I noticed a movement outside my south windows.  Since I have many plants indoors and outdoors in that area I  stood up to be sure of what was moving.  It turned out to be the twin fawns and their mother had come back and come closer this time.  While the babies nibbled on the Hawthorn plants, the mother stood still and watched.  She was not eating as she was on duty to be sure her babies were safe.  She must have heard something from the west as she shifted her position and turned her head in that direction.  One of the fawns reacted by moving also, but went right back to munching.  Eventually they all began to move slowly away.  I stood still during all of this and just enjoyed seeing them.  Had they all been adults I may have tried to discourage them from dining so close to my house.  The urge to observe them made me more lenient this day.

Since the groundhog family seems to still be in my vineyard I am using the trap from the wildlife people to try to trap and relocate them.  My neighbor has been a big help in this endeavor.  The very day I brought the trap home and set it up and baited it with cantaloupe, he called to tell me he had taken the trap to a park and released this adult gopher.  The next day I reset the trap and put in strawberries, but in several days they had rotted and no gophers had appeared.  So, I switched to cantaloupe and the next morning he called to say he found a baby gopher in the trap.  He took it off to release it but had trouble getting it out of the  trap.  He said it had long fingers wrapped around the wires at the end of the trap and would not let go when he shook it.  He had to resort to using a stick to poke at him before he would release and run off.

The trap has been baited again with cantaloupe so we shall see what the day brings.  I feel sure that there were more than one baby in the tunnel.  We have had so much rain here in the south, that they may be holed up in their hole !!  They must sleep a lot as I only see them at certain times of the day, like mid morning and later in the day.  Of course this is a fairly large place and I cannot see everything that goes on here.

In front of my house in a flower bed I saw three yellow, swallow tail butterflies working the Lantana.  I think they have only a short time to feed, lay their eggs and disappear.  It is nice to see them  fluttering about.  The Pomeranians who visit here like to try to catch them, but never do.  They do exercise their lungs and legs when they see them outside.

I do have a soft heart for the young ones of any species.  I recently found a tiny salamander in a sticky trap by my front door.  The trap was there to capture scorpions if they got through the door.  It was too late to help the salamander.  If he had not been caught in the sticky tape he would probably have died of thirst indoors.  I have at times found them in some secluded spot where they have died and just dried up.  I think there are many more outside around the rock walls to take their place,  as I see them when I am out weeding.  My daughter saw a family of scorpions on the rock wall around the flower beds.  As long as they stay out there I have no objections, but indoors it is a problem.  I like to go barefoot indoors, especially at night.  Stepping on a scorpion is not a pleasant event.  So, baby or not, I really do not want them indoors.  It is only intriguing to watch wild animals when they are outdoors and I am indoors.

Sharing Space with the Wild Animals

Recently I have come face to face with one of those great toothed tunneling critters called groundhogs.  This place is big enough to share the space with them, but I am not increasing in population and they are!  My neighbors are noticing them making tunnels under their homes, and in other places.  I had already engaged a Wildlife company to trap and remove them and they did trap five and take them away.  The first animal they trapped however, was a neighbors cat which was just too curious!  He was released to go to his own home and freedom.  The trapper eventually came and took the traps away and there was peace in my vineyard.

But sometimes a peace can be uneasy or short-lived.  In our case it was short-lived.  When I saw one of those  critters enjoying the healthy grass up near my new pecan tree, I knew that it was useless to ignore him.  That attitude only sets the scene for many more to come.  So, this time I called the Wildlife Management office in our county and asked for help.  Oh yes, they could help and told me to come over and they would loan a trap to me for two weeks.

I made the trip over to their office and when I entered the building I opened the door to be greeted to a baby black bear who had met with some kind of unfortunate situation, and was sent to the taxidermist.  He was firmly planted right inside of the door.  It is a bit startling at first as who expects to see a bear when you first open the door.  Bears are usually in cages not inside of buildings- even Wildlife building.  At least I knew I was in the right place! 

Walking on to the office I needed, I found two ladies hard at work talking on the phone to someone in north Georgia who had spied a black bear.  They wanted him taken away.  Settling that problem she turned to me and began to sign me up.  While I waited for her to go for the trap,  I saw a poster about snakes in Georgia.  I asked the second lady if they sold them.  She  explained that they were out of them right now.  I told her that I wanted them for my grandson who loves animals.  She said she had lots of other posters about wildlife and left the room to see what she did have on hand.

In the meantime the other lady came in with this huge trap and signed me up to take it out.  Then she proceeded to show me how to set the trap.  I had no confidence at all about being able to do it on my own.  I told her I had a mental block about such things but if I had trouble I could find someone to help me.

Then in came the poster lady loaded down with posters to thrill any animal loving young boy.  The snakes poster was not available but lots of other ones were.  Salamanders, Birds, Bats, and one on  Lake Ecosystem.  But there is more; the others were about mountain streams, endangered wild flowers, Georgia's Traveling Songbirds and Freshwater Biodiversity of the Upper Coosa River Basin.  In addition to the colorful labeled pictures, the backs of the posters were covered with information on understanding  them and ideas for learning more.  Wow, I had not expected to be the recipient of such interesting and informative posters.  My grandson will be delighted.  I am delighted as well.  These folks care about the wildlife and the ecosystem of our state and the world.

With a glow in my heart I headed home and promptly took the trap to where it could be found by the groundhogs living up  there.  I surprised myself by being able to set and bait the trap and cover it with branches to partly conceal  it.

I was even able to engage the help of a neighbor who will watch for any animals who appear in the traps and will release them into the wild, but far away from our houses.  A distance of five miles was recommended.

 I am never quite sure what turn my day will take.  Some days are just normally dull and routine and then  along comes one that is custom made for me, like this one today.  Never a dull moment sounds hollow and empty when I think of a day like today.

Summer Sights and Sounds

     Walking through my kitchen I looked ahead to the outside door of the sun room.  Something caught my eye and I walked quickly in that direction, to see a doe and her two babies walking by.  The mother walked casually with her longer legs.  The rust colored fawns with their speckled coats had difficulty keeping up with her.  She walked steadily on, not slowing her pace.  The babies had to walk in double time to catch up then slow down, but not for long.  No doubt she was showing them a safe place to go for a walk and perhaps find some tidbits for grazing.  I could  not tell  which path they used to  come to my drive up on this hill; but I could see where they were headed.  She steadily led them south to the grass in front of my walled flower garden, then continued west and into the woods. 

I wondered where they were going, as in the distance I could hear rumbling thunder.  Where  would they find refuge from the coming storm?  Her trusting twins did not stray from her leadership, but dutifully followed.

Summer rains are fascinating.  I stretched out on the bench at the end of the sun room, and settled in for the duration of the storm.  As the outside darkened, the rumbling, rolling thunder came closer and became louder.  The lightening picked up it's pace.  First I heard the rain hit the south windows, loud thuds seemed to echo through the room.  Then the pelting drops began on the windows in the sun room, not the same loud thuds but more persistent pings hitting the glass.  As the rain increased, it began to pool at the north drain pipe, making splashing noises in the water.   Metallic strikes came from drips hitting the drain pipe.  Persistent drops came running off the porch roof, not in a steady stream but skips of water falling fast like a tap dancer's feet moving across a polished stage, in a hurry to get to the other side.

Mother Nature was having a grand time presenting her power in her own inimitable way.  Nothing could stop her concert, nor should it.  All of her creative powers were leashed out onto this house and hill.  The leaves and branches gave way to her forceful wind, bowing and blowing in the wake of her strength.

Where could the doe and her twins find protection from this force of nature?  Perhaps  she found shelter in the bank of a mossy slope with her babies nestled close to her body.  Did she enjoy the storm as much as I did?  Were her babies frightened by the lightening and the ear bursting thunder?  Surely they felt the security of their mother's presence as the rain rolled off her back and protected them from the worst of it all. 

The entire storm lasted three quarters of an hour, not exactly music to sleep by. Eventually the thunder could be heard from further away, and the rain slackened.  The lightening moved away and the earth was left saturated with nourishing water, enough to leave puddles, little streams, and rivulets along the side of the gravel road where  the fawns that so recently walked.  What stories did they have to tell when they got back to their home place?  Will they be less afraid when they are caught out in another summer storm?  I like to think they will remember it all as the time mother curled up with them and comforted them in a mossy bank.

James Francis Gallow 10-4-1952 - June 28-2013

It has been brought home to me again, how much difference one person can make in your life.  Jim was in my life for 37 years, since he became my son-in-law.  He left much too soon.  It is not usual for the younger members in your family to pass on before you.  It is out of sync with life patterns.  It takes a lot of adjusting and readjusting and shifting things around in your head and in your emotions and in your life when someone important to you is no longer here.

Jim had much in his own life to deal with, in terms of physical disabilities, yet he was able to continue to make a positive impact on those with whom he came in contact.   For everyone he met he had a smile, a handshake and a hearty "How are you"?  It could be to a clerk in a store, a stranger when he was out walking with his dogs, a workman at his Condo, a neighbor he knew, or a newcomer at the pool, and with it all, a  twinkle in his eyes.

Jim could be very serious or just joking, and make you feel at ease.  He did not dwell on the sad side of life but made it easy to forget you had your own set of problems.  I had to learn when he was joking or was serious.  I don't think I ever really learned the secret of telling the difference.
 
Jim was a leader, he could just walk into a room and emanate energy.  I always felt secure when I was with him in a new situation as I knew he would take the lead and smooth out the way.  There were many occasions in my life when I needed someone to take the lead.  After Jim retired he was free to help me handle many situations which cropped up at my house.  He had the ability to analyze any situation and see what the best solution would be for that unique time and place.

Jim liked spicy food and when he would be cooking at my house he held back on the spices for me.  He learned to make the best bean soup ever, using the pressure cooker.  He bought one for me but I never did get the hang of it.  He did teach me a lot of other things about the kitchen.  He did not claim to be a baker, he left that up to me when he was in my territory.  When he came up to help me with some chores that were beyond me,  I tried to make some things he liked to eat.  His dietary preferences changed when he had to avoid wheat and I could no longer make cherry pie, his favorite.  He could eat potatoes however and always loved my potato salad.  He gave me a great gift by allowing me to make it for him when he came up to help me.

When we had enough people in the house to play cards he entered into the game of "hearts" with gusto, saying "let's go looking for the lady" referring to the queen of spades which no one wanted to hold in his hand.  He liked to win and kept us all on our toes.  He was good at "shooting for the moon"  and won more often than he lost.

It was not often that I could best him and usually did not even try.  He was interested in Politics and could make a very good argument for his position without even announcing his preference.  He did not like to see prejudice in any form and would point out how injustices had been inflicted on people thoughtlessly.  If you were lazy in your arguments he would catch you in a New York minute.  He was quick to say "I don't know" rather than try to give false information.  He was also quick to say, there is something called the "inter web" and would get on the keyboard to find any information you or he needed.

Jim was curious about what I thought about faith and we discussed that a lot at lunch or during times when work was not pressing.  We had some deep, serious, thoughtful discussions.  He was not prone to divulge his own deep inner feeling, but he was very conscious that not everyone held the same views and he was respectful of that.  Yet if he picked up on a misunderstanding of your knowledge of a particular group of people or culture he would skillfully guide you into a better understanding.

Jim liked history and we exchanged books from time to time.  He knew I liked biographies and kept that in mind when he brought a book to me.  Jim kept drug store glasses both here and at his home, probably six pairs here.  We were always looking for a pair and I had them stashed away in several places, plus goggles for outside use.

 I had two drawers for him to keep his work clothes in and one for his work shoes - all in my laundry room.  He needed them as he worked on outside chores.  I relied on him to show me how to set the thermostat for the floor heat, attic heat, A/C and any electrical appliances.   He did so much to help me be able to live in my own home, for as long as I wanted.  No son-in-law could be better to his mother-in-law than he was to me.

He looked out for my interests in finances, advising me at every turn, making it easier for me to manage on my own.  He was a good teacher, never losing patience and it takes a lot of it to teach an older person how to use a computer, or to convince someone else to change old habits.  I owe him a great debt and perhaps the best way to repay it is to "move it forward" and use his example to make life easier for one other person.   He surely did make a lot of difference during his life to a host of people he met along the way.  If he was having a bad day in his life due to health problems he kept it to himself and let others see only that confident, carefree side and not bring them down.  He did it with a smile and a "how are you" just for starters. 

I am so glad that I had him in my life.  I learned so much from him and he was very supportive of me in my efforts to learn new things and enrich my life by trying new things.  He was alert to the things that would benefit me here in my home and in my life. From time to time he would send me links by email  to sources of information on something I was interested in.  He loved the music of the Beatles and would send me songs to brighten up my day.  I was not knowledgeable about the Beatles nor their type of music so he wanted me to know how meaningful their songs were in everyday living.  He helped me to know "Rocky Raccoon" and it became a byword for us when something needed to be done.  He would say "I will as soon as I am able".  So, I can say to Jim's spirit "I will join you as soon as  I am able". In the meantime I will always have the memories of Jim and as long as I remember I will still have him in my life.  I have 37 years of memories and visual reminders are all around me.  Reminders like the boom box he gave me many years ago, the remodeled kitchen he helped me design and have installed,  energy efficient windows all over my house, a ceiling fan he installed, two pecan trees he planted, and many perennials.  There is the volunteer magnolia he saved by freeing it from it's confinement between two huge fallen logs.  There is the blueberry bed he tilled and planted with bushes and enclosed with a fence and netting. He helped me negotiate many improvements here like a new dock, a new car, a new roof on the house, and a new style back door which he painted green.  I love that green door so much that he painted the front door green too.  He worked with my son one Mothers Day to surprise me with a charming cross tie stairway up a hill to my house.  Perhaps the greatest thing was his time to teach me to use a computer, which has given me a new hobby and new outlook on life.

Don't ever think that you will not make a difference in life.  It would be terribly shortsighted to do so.  It is just a question of, will it be positive or negative?  No one can be at the top of their game every minute, but you will make a difference whether you realize it  or not.  So why not adopt the attitude that you will be a positive force and make that positive difference in any life with whom you come in contact.  If you think you have too many problems to make the effort, I hope you will remember Jim, or someone you know whom you can remember as making the difference for you.

Why is first important?

According to the book of Luke, chapter 2:23, the first born male shall be called holy to the Lord.  There may be a host of reasons why the first male was given such importance.  Women did not hold a high place of importance in that culture, and often were considered chattel.  Men however could hold property, reach places of power and could be relied upon to support the parents at some point in the future.   Being first was on my mind yesterday. We are studying the book of Luke in our adult Bible class at my church.  Our teacher asked for a volunteer to read the Bible passage in Luke, I raised my hand first so I was the first reader.

Thinking of all things first, I got a glimpse of a firefly a week ago.  That first of the season always gives me a lift in spirits as it signals that summer is indeed here, the fact that it appeared before the 21st seems in line with the other things I see around me.  Just a day or so after seeing the fire fly I saw that my big Gardenia bush had one bloom opened.  I had feared it was a goner but nope, it is alive and well and smelling good.

I was looking out my window and saw a spot of yellow in a patch of tall Stone Mountain Daisies.  it seems way too soon for them to be blooming.  I went out to inspect and yes, one bloom had opened and more are forthcoming.  On this same outing as I went to my compost bin, I saw red blackberries and craning my head to see more I found two ripe berries.  Of course I picked them for later.  This blackberry bush had escaped destruction, and just showed me that accidental gardening can be fun too.

Some other accidental gardening which is proving to be rewarding is the Magnolia tree which was caught between two felled trees, when it was about two feet tall.  Now it is around twenty feet tall.  It seemed to flourish after the felled trees were cut, and removed to give it room to expand.  I sighted a first bud just threatening to open,  I was watching it but apparently not close enough to see it open.  All I did see was the pod of seeds left where it had been.  I saw no other blooms, so this must have been a trial run!

Another first for this year came from  the blueberries under the netting, where around nine bushes are growing.  They looked huge and dark blue.  When I brought them inside (around 1/2 cup) their taste was disappointing.  They were tart.  Thinking it must be my taste buds not working well, I asked my son-in-law to taste them.  He too, said they were tart.  I was speculating as to why such a fine looking berry could be tart, then decided the answer was not in my head but perhaps I could find it online.  I searched  and got some help from other gardeners who had the same experience.  Most said the berries had been picked too soon.  The advise was to let them sit for a couple of days on the kitchen counter or just wait longer to pick them.  I did let them sit 24 hours and then tasted again.  This time they lived up to my expectations, and were mighty fine in my cereal.

 My thoughts went back to the first fruits of childbearing, about why the first male is so important.  The survival rate for newborns in the past was not very high.  Perhaps parents prized that first male child so highly as they were not assured that the next one would survive.  For whatever reason it is exciting to see the first new baby in a family, or the first bloom on the stately Stone Mountain Daisy, and even the blueberry which holds so much promise, as time goes by.

Garden Surprise

     Intending to ride my golf cart up to the mail box, I started down the driveway but  was stymied by a huge electric company truck blocking my way.  I turned around and headed back up to the house but stopped by the plants in the curve of my road.  I saw yellow lilies which I KNOW I did not plant.  What I had planted there were white lilies (Lilium longiflorum).  My family has been generous over the years to present me with  Easter Lilies which made their way into my garden, after the bloom had faded.  I have other bulbs planted there, a pink and white striped Amaryllis,  along with the white lilies and double orange day lilies.  Other perennials are there also.  Never did I plant yellow lilies.

     So, I had to know how they happened to be there.  Across the road I have yellow, scented day lilies which bloom later in the summer, but the only yellow lilies I have are some distance up the road, behind my house.  I had to know more.  Thus I went looking for information and found a great source of information on the Easter Lily.  It is the Aggie Horticulture web site.  Here is the easy way to access it:  http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/archives/parsons/publications/lily/lily.html 

     It has  some fascinating information about the beautiful Easter Lily which is the fourth largest crop in wholesale value in the U.S. pot plant market, behind poinsettias, mums and azaleas.  That is a direct quote from the web site.  I have a renewed respect for the perfect white lily which I have enjoyed all these years.  One fact is that the white cultivar (Nellie White) is named for a grower's wife, Nellie White.  A very specific area between California and Oregon has the perfect climate, soil and conditions for producing the bulbs for this joyful Easter plant.

     Since I did not find any answers from a professional standpoint, I did find other gardeners, like myself, who have been puzzled by the same thing.  Some had the Easter lily come back up as orange and some had come back as yellow.  No one seems to know exactly why.  If an Iris can revert to the original color, then I suppose it is possible for the Easter lily to do the same thing.  I once had fifty white Iris plants, given to me by a friend.  They all reverted to their original color which was mostly purple.  The yellow lily which showed up this year was not robust like the original plant, this year there was only one bloom.

     I shall enjoy it as it is, where it is, and not complain.  It is a miracle to me, that a bulb which looks much like an onion when placed in the ground, can come up each year and present a lovely perfect bloom to delight the beholder.

Camellias in Winter

Thirty years ago my friend gave me a
Camellia bush.  It was small and slow
growing.  I put it in the ground and
waited for the blooms.  None were
forthcoming.  Then I began to read up on where the Camellia liked to be planted and how to care for it.  I had some experience with this southern bush but had not actually grown one from start.  In fact the first time I saw one was when I was twenty years old and was in college in Richmond, Ky.  My boy friend came to see me around Easter and had a gift for me.  It was a beautiful corsage of two pink, symmetrical camellias.  I was overwhelmed by their delicate shape and color.  We pinned it on my dress and I had never felt so elegant as that day.

Living in Kentucky I was not likely to see this flower growing in someones yard, as it is a southern plant.  So, when I moved to Georgia and found one growing in my yard I was overjoyed.  I was able to enjoy the deep pink blooms in the winter and watch the Cardinal raise her young there in that bush.  I had a perfect view of it all from my window on the side of my house.  It was food for my soul.

Some years later when I moved to north Georgia, was when my friend presented me with this Camellia.  After reading up on the culture of this plant, I moved it to a new spot on the east side of my house where the soil was richer and the sun just right.  Then it rewarded me by growing into a ten foot bush with hundreds of blooms.  It did not happen overnight, but when it reached maturity I was rewarded over and over again.

The picture shows a lighter pink bloom surrounded by the deeper pink blooms.  The lighter pink comes from a bush I planted three years ago.  It only had two big buds this year.  I could not resist cutting one to bring indoors to cheer me on this cold rainy day.

The end result of successful gardening is how you feel when you finally harvest the fruit.  To get this buzz on a cold rainy day, it is all the sweeter for the waiting.  If you live in the north and cannot grow the beautiful Camellia, perhaps you can find Japonica, a cousin to the Camellia.  My sister Frances had one by her kitchen window and I loved seeing it there when I would visit.  The bloom is not as large as its cousin but it is a cheerful sight on any day.