THERE ARE DEER IN THE VINEYARD

I live on a vineyard that slopes up into the protected woods of Sugarloaf Ridge.  We've had phenomenal rain the last few days and the creek behind my cottage is celebrating with rushing water at an all time high.  It is really loud, but not as loud as the frogs!  It sounds like frogs are covering every inch of property beyond the creek.  What a crowd!

I had gotten up at dawn to give my daughter a ride to work.  When I returned home along a beautiful wooded lane I spotted three young deer.  They stopped trotting along, afraid of my car.  I waited, we checked each other out and I slowly moved pass them.

I got back into my cottage to let the vineyard owners know.  Unfortunately deer aren't the vineyard's friend.  They love grapes - no duh.  And in the winter they love the vines - yikes.  So they can't stay.  I grabbed another cup of really strong joe from my automatic brewer and noticed the same group hanging out in my creek just behind the trees.  Not more than 20ft from me.  Perhaps I had been a bit too welcoming.

I started talking to them, in a soft voice and asked them what they were doing?  I continued to talk to them, asking them ridiculous questions they couldn't answer.  Their ears are long and stood perked up at an angle, like an old T.V. antenna.  They were all watching me, listening to every word.  I told them they needed to leave and I moved slowly back to give them space.

They tip-toed out of the creek and ran up the path through the vineyard toward the slopes of the Sugarloaf Ridge.