Mulies Munching

I took the photo above with my Nikon. I had trouble with the camera, because the mulies would be partially behind shrubs and the with camera on auto, focused on the plant life, leaving the mule deers blurry. This was the only decent photo I got.

Here are a few more photos and a video from my iphone:

Here are the mulies munching on jojoba. There’s a good view of the buck’s antlers.

The Gift of Christmas
Poet: Catherine Pulsifer

Family and friends gathered near,
Laughter and love so warm, sincere.
May the joy of Christmas Day,
Guide your heart in every way.

Remember those who face the cold,
Whose stories often go untold.
Extend a hand, share what you can,
For love unites the hearts of man.

Our wild neighborhood

We saw two mule deer on our morning walk.

Unfortunately our nest of quail eggs did not hatch. It makes me sad, because I was looking forward to our own hatchlings. We do have a couple families of quail visit our backyard. I also was thrilled to see deer yesterday morning.

I’m not sure what to do with the nest of eggs. I’m leaving it alone for the time being, but think I should throw them away?

I never get tired of the wildlife in our neighborhood. Across the street we have the McDowell Nature Preserve with more than 130 miles of hiking trails. That’s probably why we get deer, coyotes, javelina and bobcats waltzing through our backyards and streets. There’s so much building going on in Arizona, it’s reassuring to know the 30,580 acres of Sonoran Desert across the street will not be developed.

Here is one of the quail families that visit our yard. The babies look like teenagers.

Another deer in a neighbor’s yard.

Here’s a video of a mule deer walking across a neighbor’s driveway.

What is your favorite thing about your neighborhood?

A beautiful start to the day

mule deer

We spotted this mule deer on our morning walk.

I did a double take on our morning walk. We were on a cul-de-sac and I saw in the distance what I thought was a statue of a deer. I wondered when the neighbors put it up?

Then the ears twitched and I realized “WOW! It’s alive.”

I’m always surprised when I encounter wildlife in our neighborhood. I wonder if I’ll ever get used to it?

This deer didn’t seem afraid of us and I crept closer and closer to get a photo. She didn’t move.

My husband commented on how secure the deer seemed.

“Well, it’s very nice neighborhood with very little crime,” I said. We left the deer alone after I got some good photos and continued on our walk.

What delightful surprises or sights have you had lately?