Oh deer

Last Friday, I had coffee with David and Scott, who were moaning about what they could and could not plant in their gardens, because of the appetites of the deer in their neighbourhoods. David had just chopped down an apple tree that had been leafless and fruitless for several years because the deer so adored the new shoots - he said herds of them would cluster around the tree, denuding it. Later in the day, I had almost the same conversation with Chris. All three of them asked if I had a deer problem as well. I cheerfully replied that so far, the only large four-footed animals invading the jardin were raccoons, although I knew that there were deer fairly close by, at Government House.

The very next day, I was in the kitchen setting up my new computer, with door wide open because it was such a nice day. At one point, both cats came streaking in with eyes like saucers, looking fearfully over their shoulders. Harriet's tail was bigger than a bottle brush. I wondered if the raccoon passing through was especially vicious, to get this sort of response. I poked my head out the back door, and saw this:

Eating the alstromaria! (Actually, that's OK, I was going to yank a lot of it out anyway.) Ted and Mary Anne, who have lived in the house behind for about forty years, say this is the first time they've EVER seen a deer. And the bugger was back, later this week - he ate their new beets and their wine grapes. For once, I didn't feel so bad about not having planted a vegetable garden.