Admitting Weakness

Lately I've been posting a lot of deer pictures taken either on my way to work in the morning, or on the way home, usually late into the evening.  You may think it is just because wildlife interests me, and that would be partly true.  The whole truth is, I'm torturing my followers who are hunters.  

At work, Lake, or John, or Angela, or Tim will ask how my day is going.  I'll tell them about the big buck I saw, or the twin fawns, or the three or four does, and I'll see eyes glaze over.  Tongues snake out and swipe lips, trigger fingers begin to twitch.

"Yeah," I'll say, "you can see it on my blog.  I posted pictures."

The next day they'll sidle up and ask if I have a landowner tag.

I just shake my head and tell them about the young buck I saw that day, much younger than the big one I saw the day before.

"Where do you live?"

I'll just smile.

Come hunting season, I'll usually have two or three hunters offer to come fix something at my house.  Phffft.  I know the real reason they are offering.

They can't have my deer.

I'll probably still continue to torture them. It is a weakness.  I admit it.

Is it too mean?

Schooner

Schooner is a hunter, too.  I know because he opens my drawers and cabinets to hunt through them.

Morning and Evening Commute in the Northwest

Black-tailed morning commute

The sun was out today on my commute to work.  But it was bumper to bumper traffic.  Four black-tailed deer in the middle of the road, caused a traffic jam.  By the time I got my camera out of its case, one had left and the rest were taking the deer-off-ramp.

Stealing from neighbor's tree

On the way home this evening, I caught a doe stealing from the neighbor's trees, chomping the luscious foliage.  But, when she realized she'd been caught, she simply denied her crime.

Chewing

Caught

Since she was unimpressed by my accusations, I drove up the hill and found a buck stealing from my field.

Black-tailed buck in velvet

Schooner on Hayden Island, OR

Just off I-5, a sleepy community of houseboats, yachts, and sailboats rocks against the shore of Hayden Island between the Columbia River and the North Portland Harbor channel.  There are two fabulous cafes on the island.  One is the Island Cafe, floating on the dock along the channel.  On a hot summer evening, as you eat a shrimp salad, you can watch all sorts of pleasure boats float past; some even pulling up to the cafe, tossing a line, and clambering onto the dock for a meal.

The other, Hidden Bay Cafe, is not as crowded, and overlooks the marina tucked into a small bay along the Columbia River.  I met my daughter there after work a few days ago.  While I waited, I watched several sailboats out on the Columbia.  Is it me, or is one of them sailing backwards?

Used to the pleasure craft seen on the south side of the island along the harbor channel, I forgot the north side would provide a view of the heavy traffic along the Columbia.  While filming a sailboat, a Tidewater barge completely upstaged it.

I have a particular fondness for Hayden Island because a group of islanders were doing an annual clean-up along the shorelines when they came across a little kitten and his mom, half starved, and cowering in the brush.  They rescued them, found a home for the mom, and posted a picture of the baby at a Hayden Island fundraiser I attended.

Who can resist a pwecious widdle kiddy in need of a home?

Schooner as a baby

Schooner

That is how Schooner came to share the house with me.

Jantzen Beach Osprey

Jantzen Beach Osprey

I should probably point out that Jantzen Beach isn't near the ocean.  It is along the Columbia River.  From the parking lot of the shopping center, there is no sign of the river, but I would imagine being at the lofty height of the osprey there would be a clear view.  It appears this parent is waiting for the other to bring dinner.

This week, I met my daughter for an after work glass of wine on Hayden Island and while I was waiting I drove over to visit my osprey friend and decided to get video.  From the video, you can hear the Osprey call if you try to ignore the jets taking off from Portland International Airport.

Black-tailed Buck

On my way to work yesterday, I had to stop for this buck, who was standing in the middle of the road.  He stared at me while I reached down to the floor of my car, scooped up my camera case, unzipped it, slid out the camera, and turned it on.  As soon as I brought it up to focus on him, he turned his...ah...black tail toward me, and walked away.

Black-tailed buck in velvet

Do you suppose that is his opinion of my desire to put him on my blog?