Farm Fauna

Despite blog implications to the contrary, there are actually animals other than babies scampering over the acreage of this here farm. Yup, besides the two human offspring, two domestic felines and three fat equines, we're seeing all kinds of wilder-type life 'round these parts this spring and summer.

I feel obliged to start with Chucky the woodchuck, who scuttles in and out of the barn like a fusty old man and has recently been spotted on our deck (I've been trying to get a photo for this post, but he scuttles too darned fast). Chucky looks like a sweet character out of a Beatrix Potter book (our very own Jemima Puddleduck!) but is really the DEVIL INCARNATE. Did anyone know that deer fences have no apparent effect on trespassing woodchucks? Chucky loves young seedlings like squash, melons and cucumbers. I'm sure that if Chucky understood that for each seedling he so thoughtlessly dug up and gorged on, we are deprived of tens or hundreds of fruit therewithin, he'd cease and desist, but alas, Chucky persists, and we're trying to figure out what the heck to do with him. His fate may be determined by our neighbor Tryston, a very efficient trapper. Because certain pansy-asses on the farm (okay, me) don't have the heart to kill our furry little neighbors, Chucky may end up being transported to a land far, far away one of these days.

Pepe (as in Le Pew) is a skunk who enjoys the pleasures of our compost pile. Farm denizens have been mightily entertained by Pepe's antics: scurrying about the yard, nosing into the tent behind the garage, and making general busy-style merriment. Jay and Pepe did experience a small, surprise stand-off near the lower garden, which was curtailed by one quick lift of Pepe's tail. A warning, thankfully. Both parties wandered away unscathed, with perhaps a bit of an adrenaline rush.

A few times around dusk we've witnessed the Massive Bunny Frenzy, during which several small brown rabbits buzz around the pasture in erratic circles like they're high on happy.

Tommy 2 (pictured above) is our second barn tomcat. What happened to Tommy 1 is really any body's guess. A funny story about Tommy 2: Chris was watching one of the aforementioned bunnies hopping around amiably when Tommy 2's paw came down from among the weeds, SMACK, and absconded with the poor befuddled prey, whereupon in a split-second decision, Chris ran after Tommy 2 barking like a dog. It may surprise you to learn that this caused Tommy 2 to release said bunny, allowing predator and prey to go back to their respective corners.

A few others: hummingbirds who dive bomb us at mealtime, a frantic one of whom was rescued from the garage by Jay and Chris; a black bear meandering obliviously around the hayfield; a brave doe and her fawn, spotted curiously nosing our hammock and enjoying our garden; a comically ugly (and hissing-angry) opossum I disturbed nesting in a hay bale (for the record, I nearly pissed myself. Opossums are scary.); raccoons who nap in the sun, dead to the world after a Thanksgiving feast-style meal of pork chop bones thoughtfully discarded by the farm's humans; wild turkeys that stare stupidly at our cars from the middle of the road; bald eagles drinking from the river...

Have I forgotten anything? Well, probably thousands of species, critters, varmints, but this will have to do for now.

~Charis