Deer Courting

Three weeks today since the "bug" caught us and just starting to feel better.  It has been a weird one.  Not down so bad we were stuck in bed, but energy sucking enough to keep us from doing as much as we want to be doing.  Lots of rest days in between getting things done.

The weather has been gorgeous, warm days, little wind and nights in the low 40's.  This morning dipped down to 37.

We were sitting on the bench on the hill a couple of days ago, soaking up some sun and waiting to see if the crashing about in the bushes bucks would make an appearance so I could get a picture.  The buck must have decided to take a nap.  We didn't see him but as I had my camera I took some pictures of the acorn woodpeckers storage tree.  This large, tall ponderosa pine is riddled with holes that are stuffed with acorns, and there are two others similarly adorned all the way to the top.  There are constant battles between the woodpeckers and the thieving squirrels.

The senior buck made his appearance this week and dethroned the two pointer who thought he was king.  The does stayed in the manzanita and toyon bushes and this guy with his antlers sounded like he was ripping the crap out of everything in there.  They do not have a care with those antlers, which is why we have to put a fence around the young trees.  They get themselves hooked up, they just twist their heads and rip.

As I had finished Connor's red blankie, I was able to get started on a project I've waited almost a year to start.  I bought gorgeous hand dyed 100% alpaca yarn from an alpaca farm back east.  If I had thought about it I could have gotten the name of the alpaca that gave up this fiber for my shawl that I am making.  The pictures don't do the colors justice, they are warm and autumnal.  This piece is crocheted and works up pretty quickly.

The first 6 or 7 rows.

Day before yesterday there was serious deer courting going on.  The younger bucks didn't care that I was standing close enough to hit them with a gently tossed rock.  They are probably last year and year before that's babies and used to us.  The big guy was a bit more cautious but with chasing the doe and keeping an eye on the two young whippersnappers that were keeping an eye on him he didn't much care that I was out there either.

Round and round the bushes they would go.

Yesterday I went with a friend to a couple of wineries that were having Christmas fairs.  I found a fun necklace that had to come home with me, we tasted some wine and then we spent a lot of time at the Winterhill booth tasting and being educated on wonderful flavored cold pressed olive oils grown locally and basalmic vinegars from Italy.  I may become a foodie.  We so enjoyed the experience we jammed on down to their store in Placerville to taste the chocolates made with their olive oil, jams and glazes.  They are so happy to let you taste anything and put together combos for you to try and they ship anywhere for just three bucks over what it would cost us to ship that you can't go wrong.  If you're ever in Placerville you must go experience the wonderful flavors.  

Sara showed me three places that are set up on the honor system.  One is a place that has chickens free ranging and sells eggs from a cute little trailer.  You go in, get a carton of eggs from the little fridge, write down in the book what you took and leave your money in the box.  Down the road a piece is a husband/wife little produce farm and they also do stone baked breads on the weekend, same thing, everything is in baskets with prices and you take what you want and leave the money in the box.  Next stop was for mandarin oranges, same thing, take what you want and leave the money.  Amazing system.  Love it.  
That is the "cool" thing about living here.  We are country living within short drives of major city hubs.