First Fawn

Dateline: Biscuit Hollow

The pollen count must be off the charts here in the valley, with all the Autumn Olive and Honeysuckle shrubs in bloom. Maybe that explains the fit of sneezing I endured this morning. At one point today, I was in the garage and looked out and saw a large cloud across the road, what appeared to be smoke. Alarmed that it might be a grass fire, I ran out to investigate. It turned out to be wind blown pollen from the scotch pine trees around the old pond.

It has been very dry here the last couple of weeks. Rainfall for the growing season is 1-2 inches below normal. I gave the newly planted Christmas trees a drink again this weekend. They all appear to be doing okay, some having experienced bud burst and beginning new growth.

I saw my first fawn of the year today. Memorial Day weekend and the first week of June is generally when most deer have their fawns. This one was in the small field above the pond, in the gully near the stone pile. I scared it out of its bed with the tractor while I was going up by the larch to water the newly planted trees. It ran into Bill Resue’s woods before I could get my camera ready. I saw what I assume was its mom up on the hill where she had been keeping a watchful eye on her hidden and camouflaged offspring. She was heading down to take care of her baby.

On tonight’s jaunt around the valley, I saw a number of deer, but the highlight was a nice buck down by the beaver meadows. Its horns are just beginning to grow, not yet above it’s ears. But the bulbous, velvety mass with multiple buds and the size of the deer suggests I would definitely like to see him on October 15 when bow season starts.