Into the Wilderness...

  I've been playing again!  Snaggable if you like.

 

Boring tree farm paragraph follows...
Taxes and trees.  The past two weeks that's all I've seen it seems.  Taxes are done...thank God!...but I'm still working on the trees.  Seedlings, actually, for the tree farm.  We want to plant 100 seedlings this spring, but finding the right wholesaler has me spending a whole lotta time in front of this computer.  Just when I find one with the right species and prices, they hit me over the head with minimum order requirements that put our little farm way out of their league.  This is getting old, real fast.
End of boring tree farm paragraph.

We've spent the past three weekends up at the cabin, and this year the deer have been out in numbers I've never seen, ever.   Sam's been going up to this area for over 30 years and even he commented that he's never seen so many deer hanging around.  It's comforting...for awhile we rarely saw any and I was growing concerned about their welfare.  Not to worry it seems as the deer population is thriving.  :)  And that makes me happy.

There is this one doe, I call the cabin doe, because she always hangs around the cabin.  It's almost like she knows she will be safe if she stays in the area.  She's been hanging around the cabin for over ten years.  Every year she has a fawn, and last year she had twins.  She doesn't look pregnant this year; if she was her belly would be much wider since the time for fawns to be born is just around the corner.  But she looks healthy.  This photo was taken from our porch, with my telephoto zoomed to the max.  I'm definitely going to invest in a more powerful lens so I can get close-ups while maintaining a respectfully safe distance.

This past couple of weeks I've taken many photos and selecting just a few to include in the journal is always a test for me.  I have many to share,  but now, this will have to do.

Two other deer wandering at a nearby cabin.   The deer on the left might be a buck; look closely and you will see what appears to be the nubs of new antlers growing between his ears.

The wine selection for dinner.  How do you like my pine cone wine glasses?  :)

Ever heard of Walton's Mountain?  Well, this one is called Williams Mountain; when the Williams boys first put up the sign it was decorated with three geese, now only one remains, perhaps it is Mother?

During our four-wheeler ride, we came across some wind fall across the trail.  While the guys removed the trees, I found some interesting fungus growing out of another tree.

 

On an unrelated note, I've noticed an immense increase in television advertising by Hilton Hotels.  Could it be that Paris' celebrity status is actually hurting the family business?  Pity.  One generation spends a lifetime building a respectable empire based on hospitality, only to have another generation drag the family name through the mud of stupidity and ignorance.

 

 

Forget not that the earth longs to feel your bare feet and the winds long to play with your hair.  ~Kahlil Gibran