Flowers and Deer

The deer have been eating our roses again this year. One morning I went on a walk, the roses were there when I left and all gone when I got back an hour later. Good news is that I have a softer heart towards the deer this year - I saw a poor dead baby dear early on this summer, and I thought how sad I would be to lose my baby, the least I can do for the grieving mother is let her eat my flowers now and then. So yeah, I've got a bit of a softer heart this time around. Two years ago I was pretty ticked, last summer we were gone in Brazil during the big first blooming and then I was inside with a newborn, so I didn't notice their floral destruction last year. And this year, it's okay. I say hello and "you are beautiful" to any little rose bud that happens to survive their breakfast meal, and then we all go on with our day. Look! We got one!

Hello lovely rose! 

I give it a touch and smell it with a sigh, and then go on my walk. When I came home.... there they were, heading down to our house. Hello, deer... I see you!

It is pretty fun having deer neighbors. Although, sad story, on Friday night (July 15th) when Corey and I were driving home from our date, as we came up Wasatch there was a doe that had just been hit but wasn't killed - it looked like it was sitting in the street. But then it tried to stand up but couldn't, it's legs just flapped around below it like ninja nunchucks when it tried unsuccessfully to move- it's back legs were totally busted. A guy swerved and just missed it but then a girl driving behind him hit it. They were all pulled over and watching the doe. We pulled over, just feeling like we had to do something to help the deer, so sad! Cars were still coming by, it was dark, it almost got hit again. We put on our hazard lights, cars started to slow down, I kinda directed traffic around the deer as we tried to think of how to help it get off the road. I was thinking Corey and the guy who almost hit it could maybe help it together, but when they got close it freaked out and tried to cross the road, pulling it with it's front legs. It was painful to watch, but not as painful as I'm sure it was for the deer. It almost got hit a few times but it kept trying and eventually got itself off the road and over to where we were parked, where it pulled itself into the brush. It was so sad!!! The guy left, traffic resumed normal speed, and we stayed there with the girls for 20 or so minutes until the police came. "So you were in the car that hit the deer?" He asked the girls. "And your are the parents?" he said to us. No, just passer-bys trying to help a little. (Did we look old enough to be parents of 18 year olds? I guess Joseph is almost there, so maybe. Or maybe we look older in the dark, ha.) So I was thinking about the poor deer the rest of the night and most of the next morning, told the kids about it. They would have been bawling, I almost started to cry, but was able to keep the tears back by just saying "poor deer!" over and over again and praying for it to not suffer long. Animals suffer alot, yet there was no complaining or screaming, it was just quiet and endured the pain of getting hit. I'm not sure what happened after that, but they don't just let it stay there hurt do they? I'm assuming they kill the deer, right? Probably shoot it to put it out of it's misery? Cause I'm positive they don't take it to the vet or anything. Sad, but what do you do. So, drive slowly, watch out for deer. And I do not plan on trying to grow a vegetable or flower garden anytime soon, our yard doesn't get enough sun with the pine trees anyway. So deer, you are welcome to our plants.

Atleast until all the kids are grown and we're empty nesters... by that time, I might try again to take up gardening as a hobby, so we'll have to figure out an arrangement that will make everyone happy when that time comes, but until then, bon appetite to our roses and raspberry bush and whatever else you find. My life is pretty good compared to yours, so I should share.