The Gathering Storm

Skies were a leaden gray and the temperature stayed below freezing all day. As I went about my chores, I could see chimneys smoking on neighboring houses while the neighbors bustled around getting everything under cover.

Gretchen reported long lines of retirees with full shopping carts at the Food Lion today. If snow falls, many roads will be impassible for days. A full cupboard is a necessity if you become housebound.

Even the wild animals seem to be stocking up. We have had more than the usual number of squirrels, crows, doves, woodpeckers and small birds visiting today. But the most visible sign of some great change occurring is the presence of vast numbers of deer during daylight hours.

Gretchen noticed at least forty deer visiting our feeding station today. This is double the traffic of our busiest days. Groups of deer started visiting right after daybreak. They normally spend about half an hour and move on. Today, they stayed much longer and moved off only after new deer showed up.

I took this photo around four o’clock. There were seven deer at the feeding station. Normally, they won’t crowd that much, preferring to eat in groups of three or four. What you don’t see are the five other deer just out of the picture frame. A dozen of deer is a crowd in your back yard and they are noisy eaters. They munch so loudly on the corn, they can be heard in our kitchen sixty feet away.
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Click on image to enlarge At least, they have not come banging on the door for food yet. I will keep you informed of developments as they occur. I can’t wait for the next weather report.

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