Fawns

 I posted a photo of a fawn the other day over on my other blog...and told that there was another one.  This is it.  At first I could not see the spots then she changed her position and I got a surprise. 

This is the only photo of both, because the one in the lead headed off through the woods when the second one got across the road.

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Not one single stitch of sewing was done yesterday.  I did not even touch fabric.  I think I am having withdrawal problems.  LOL

Sweet moment in time...

As we drove back through the strip pits the other night, we began to see a few deer.  In total out there we seen at least 10, maybe 11.  I am just not sure about one.  But this mama and baby were close to the last we saw out there.  Roger thought it must have been a late baby since the spots are still so bold.  I was in an awkward shooting position, so could not get a better shot.  (I always have an excuse....)

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Yesterday the a storm was moving through...with wind.  There are enough leaves on the ground till it looked like a herd of wild horses racing along the street.  I just could not believe there were that many.  Another strange thing was I could hear the wind howling in the distance...like it does in winter.  Only in winter it is close enough till you feel like you can reach out and touch it.

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I had a weed in my flower bed...well, I have more than one but this one was huge and I have been meaning to go out and pull it, but for one reason and another I had not done it.  Day before yesterday I was headed to the garage and thought I would pull it on my way.  And I did, and was walking away and going to take it and put in the compost pile.  I no more than headed that way till something got me on my forefinger that was carrying the weed.  I thought it was a packsaddle....about the time I had that thought, I had a yellow jacket about to get me on the arm....and out of the corner of my eye I saw them swarming up out of the ground where I had pulled up the weed.

And you know, I learned something then.  I can still run!  LOL  Maybe not fast, but since my fall, I have not felt like I could run, but I ran then.  And I did not get stung again.  How I escaped the one that one on the arm is more than I know.    I cringe at the thoughts of how I have been down on my hands and knee in that area more than once not that long ago.  I am so thankful they were not there then....because no matter how I try, I am slow getting up.

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This was taken over a week ago...just saying...

I hope you all are having a nice week.  I am slowly becoming accustomed to my new washer.  It will for sure do a bigger load than my old one, but boy, is it slow. 

On the way....

We went to the strip pits one day last week, and right before we got to the area, we pass this field...first I spotted this small deer...took a couple photos...and said out loud, 'now where is your mama?'
Just a few feet farther on, Roger said, 'there she is.' We were gone at least an hour and a half or two and came back through there, and they were bedded down at the edge of the field. There is a house that sits at one end of the field...I don't know if it is 100 yards away even....
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I got my living room windows washed today...actually I did the one the tree sits in front of before I put the tree up. However, I am in a pickle now. The drapes I use, I washed...they are the type that has the rubbery white coating on the back...I cannot think of the word for that for the life of me. Now, I have washed these drapes numerous times...and they are old. But the ones in here in the dining room look good as new. Two pair in the living room look basically new.

Not the other set. When I went to take it out of the washer...it was stuck to itself. I don't know how to explain it other than that. And when I pulled it apart it pulled the back coating off. Just the one pair. I have no idea why. So, now I need to go find something new. And have I told you how long I have been looking. I even thought one time, well, I will just spend whatever it takes and get what I want. I couldn't find anything I actually liked.

So, I have put them back up for now, till no one can see in. But thinking about heading out here in a few minutes to see what I can see.

Strip pit report....

I haven't been going to the strip pits as much as normal, and when I have, there hasn't been much to report. Most times I have been lucky to see anything at all. I think it has been due to the time I am out there...I have either hit it too early or too near dark. Last night was different.
I had barely got to the first pond that is right near the entrance, when on in the distance I saw a Northern Harrier...I raced down to try to catch it. Then there were what I took to be three of them....they had moved on farther from the road and where swooping and circling...and just moving all the time. It did cross my mind that one was definitely darker than the others, and bigger...but I didn't give it a thought that the two smaller ones were owls till I downloaded the photos. You will probably have to enlarge this to even see the birds.

The birds drifted even farther away--I headed on down the road, but no more than started, till I noticed the two deer above....they were too far away to get a good shot, and started retreating soon as I headed their way. I passed a small pond that had swans on it, but they were too far away to get a good shot... I went on to the biggest pond near the road....water covered the road there and was a little deeper than I wanted to venture across, though I really think it would have been fine. It isn't like it is flowing....it just gets up and stands in the road.

I turned around, and headed back from the direction I came...when I got back to where I first saw the Northern Harrier and the other two birds, there were the owls! The short-eared owls--there was four right there, they swoop and fly low to the ground while they hunt. Now two of these did light on the ground...not like they were catching something, but they just set and looked all around...

I saw four right there, and then two more on down the way....so they are back in full force. I did go back to the entrance, turned around and drove back to where the water was across the road in hopes of seeing one sitting on a fence post, but no such luck. I did see more deer however....though I lost count. Oh, it was not 20 or 30, or any number like that...but thinking along the lines of 10-12...

There was actually a 3rd deer with these, but didn't get a good picture that showed it because it blended in so well with the background. And I think these are the two that are in the other photo above of deer...they are in the same place where I saw them.

There were also a few geese, and then there was flocks of some other type of duck...with as small as they were, they were too far away to get a decent picture of...there were about 3 different flocks in the air...each one probably having at least 100...and a few little groups of 6 or 8 or 10 'ducks.'

It was sure good to see some wildlife once again...

Leftovers from the strip pits...

Sometimes I go to the strip pits and see very little, sometimes I see a lot. When I was there last week, I also saw the Northern Harrier above. Not a very good shot. This is a cropped portion of the original. He was all the way down at the other end of the pond...and seemed to be fishing. He even sat perched on a dead tree for a while...one that stuck up out of the water.
Then at the other end of the area...actually over in Illinois, I saw these three turkeys...this is a regular farm field. I don't know if it was originally part of the mining area or not. If it was, it has been back in regular use for a long while. It always has soy beans or corn planted here. And when the crops are down, or before they grow very tall, if we go by there in the evening, there is almost always deer or turkeys there.
The two deer above were in the same field, only 2 or 3 weeks prior to the shot of the turkeys. The past few times I have been out there, I have not been seeing near as many deer as I always have before. Go Here and scroll down to see how numerous they were a couple years ago.

Wildlife report....

Night before last I made a run through the strip pits....I went through the first time kind of early...right around 3:30. Right after entering the area, there is a strip pit...and it was covered with geese. They were walking on water ice....and sitting on ice as if they were sitting on water. I could not help but think how cold that would be!
I paused and took a few pictures, and continued on through...I seen one single Northern Harrier, and not any other life of any kind. No birds flying, no ring-necked pheasants, no deer.

I decided to head on over into Illinois...originally thinking I would go to Paris, Illinois to take a few pictures in town just to have something different to post. However, I took off through the country to see if the geese were feeding in any of the fields. Other than one right there close to the strip pit, I just seen a few others too far away to photograph.

And did not see anything else in the wildlife department to photograph while out. So, I headed back home, and finally had three deer run across the road in front of me. This led me to run back through the strip pits on my way home.
This time there were red-winged blackbirds...so at least they are moving back through. There wasn't a lot of them, but sure more than when I had passed through earlier. So, I went on, trying to keep an eye out for pheasants....no luck. Looked for short-eared owls...no luck there either.

I finally spotted a herd of deer on a far hill...at least 8, maybe more. Too far to count. After seeing them, I finally spot a single, solitary male pheasant, and next were three Northern Harriers. Not a lot to see compared to other times, yet it was good to see what I did see.

After I left the strip pits, the first thing I saw was another herd of deer. I guess you would say herd. Just on down the road a mile or so from the red barn...four deer ran across the road and I could see 4 more deer waiting in the weed patch....I slowed down and was going to try to take a photo but a dog on down the way started barking at a truck that was coming from the other direction...so they ran back the other way.

So, I continue on my way home...by then there is a vehicle behind me. Soon as I could, I pull to the side of the road till they can pass me. I want to go slow. I am out to this farm field by then...there are 6 deer out in that field, plus two turkeys. So, I am thinking well, that is probably the end of what I will see...

But I continue on...just creeping along. I thought just maybe I might see a heron at this little creek I had yet to pass...but before I got there there is this woodsy/weedy patch and in there are more deer! I counted at least 6, two of them are in the photo above....but it was getting really late and I have a feeling I missed some. They blended in so well with their background it was hard to spot them.

So all in all it was a good evening...

Life at the strip pits

We had sunshine....ALL DAY LONG! I didn't quite know how to act...of all the days to have it, it was a good one. Sarah and Lorelei were planning to come up today, but due to unforeseen circumstances, they didn't come. However, one of the guys Roger used to work with came and spent a good part of the day here.
A while after his friend left, we decided to run out to the strip pits to see what we could see. On my Time Stand Still I have featured the prize capture, but I thought I would show these as well. Yes, if you click the photo above, I think you can tell that that is a cat! I thought it made a fairly good photo.
There were not too many birds, we seen more mallards than anything. The geese and the mallards seem to be pairing off to start their families.
We saw some other deer, but this was the only one that I captured with the camera.
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I just discovered something about ScribeFire...the Firefox add-on to manage blogs. The pictures that I upload with it cannot be enlarged. Another negative thing was that only one photo at a time could be uploaded. Though I would have lived with that if the photos had enlarged. Anyway, I probably won't be using it.

I think it would be fine if you didn't publish photos to enlarge...but even on my Time Stand Still blog, my photos can be enlarged. Except for these few I have published with it. and the more I think about it the more I am thinking I will go and redo the photos with the regular publisher.

Slow drive

We went for a slow drive yesterday....and seen several deer. I didn't get any really good shots, but am showing some I got any way. The mother above had a little fawn with her, but they took flight...we figured there was a fawn with her but it was hidden until they took off.
The one above is another mother....she is on one side of the road and her fawn is on the other....and we are between them. I took a couple quick shots, even got one of the fawn but it is so dark and nothing I do in Photoshop makes it look much better.
And this is a first time ever for me--seeing a fawn nursing. Probably the first and last time I ever see it in fact.
And then there were these two bucks...we wondered if they were twins....they sure are handsome fellows.
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I am probably going to Sarah's again, so I may not get any visiting in today either.

Not so hot beaver pictures....

I debated on even showing these of the beaver...it was getting so late that I could not focus against the dark water. I have more pictures and none of them are good, so just chose these two.
The one below has been played with in photoshop elements...it does not eliminate the out of focus-ness of it, but you can see it a bit clearer.

And these two are some of the deer we seen out there. I wish we could get closer but they are off and running when we start getting even remotely close. Roger wonders if they have been poached, but I wonder if it is just cause because they are not used to vehicles.
We will be out there an hour or two and at the most see one or two other vehicles.
As usual, it ended with a beautiful sunset.

Time for Camera Critters

It is time once again for the animals to take the spotlight. The picture of the geese above was taken on our way home from Willow Slough a bit back. I wanted to work it in here before I totally forget it.
And Bambi here was from last weekend. We think she was a young doe...
She stayed relaxed for quite a bit. I really, really wished I had had an apple I could have cut to pieces. That is how I first got Mama Squirrel to take something from my hands. The smell was just too much to resist.
I don't think I could have fed this deer from my hand, but all I had to with me was dog treats that I carry in the car for when I go to Sarah's house. Otto expects me to have something special for him. I don't like to disappoint, so I just got a box of Milk Bones to carry with me.

Also, often out taking pictures I meet dogs, and they have always been so friendly and inquisitive. One time I thought one was going to end up in the car with me....

Anyway, I wished I had had an apple just to have it a special treat. It is Christmas!

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