Living in a rural setting is relatively quiet and serene. Granted, the tourist traffic picks up for most of the warmer seasons. But now that the temperature is dropping continuously and the brilliant array of reds and oranges on the escarpment is gradually diminishing, our road has become significantly quieter.
When our home was a pottery studio years before we came along, the owner also rented out a few rooms for Bed and Breakfast. When we purchased it, a little note remained in one of the rooms referring to our little house as The Potter's Cottage. Although we have changed the facade and the gardens significantly, I still feel as though I am puttering around in a cottage some days and life here is sometimes cottage-like. I often mention the wildlife and the surrounding vineyards as I sit in my office looking out the window and my deep appreciation is evident in my thoughts that I put on paper. But this morning brought a different aspect of wildlife to light.
It was late morning and my husband was working on getting the flowerbeds winterized. All of a sudden he came running to the back of the house with the strangest of tales. A car must have spooked a younger White-Tailed Deer as it was leaving the shelter of the vineyard across the way. It easily cleared a 12' wide flowerbed with some high bushes, literally landing beside my extremely surprised husband who was crouched down. In seconds, it had bounded across the back and over our large trampoline, disappearing into the safety of the forest behind.
Any encounter with wildlife of this size and caliber is just an amazing experience. But it could have turned out completely differently if my husband had been over just a bit and in the way of this magnificent buck. They can weigh as much as 300 pounds! It just goes to show that you need to be aware of your surroundings in any environment.
Animals are easily spooked and you never know how they are going to react. When driving down country roads, especially early morning or at dusk, slow down. Take a look around you and be aware of vineyards and thickets where deer have been known to gather. I've slammed on my brakes and come face to face with a few deer over the years. Generally they are as surprised as you are. But I've always had plenty of time to slow down and wait until they have made their way across the road.
These gentle giants are things of beauty. I've often come across a particular doe around the Fort George wooded area that will stand and stare at you, making direct eye contact. She seems to know she is a thing of beauty and, after giving you a saucy little twitch of her white tail, leaps into the woods knowing that you are standing there staring after her in bewonderment. She is one of my favourites!
As their habitat keeps getting smaller and smaller, let our awareness of them grow so that generations can enjoy their appearances as much as we do! You never know when one will make a surprise visit. Personally, I would choose a visit by one of these white-tailed giants rather than the small, furry, black creatures with a white stripe down their backs....
Lolita Schimann Hale
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