Rabbits and Deer: BEWARE!

The spring weather has brought to life the wildlife at Deerfield. We have seen all manner of deer, rabbits and wild turkey of late. One turkey had the audacity to leave a rude deposit right in the middle of the driveway by the house -- while we were watching, no less.

To protect our young fruit trees and plants, I have attached garlic spikes (see photo) to the branches. These spikes are made from garlic oil, the scent of which is said to be 1000 times stronger than plain old garlic. Also, on the timbers surrounding the plants, I sprayed a product called Liquid Fence which is made out of (no kidding) rotten eggs, garlic and sulfur. I spilled a few drops on my hands. When I got to the house Willie was giving me funny looks.

FAMILY NOTE: We said goodbye to our son today who will spend the next week in Seattle before he returns to work in Minneapolis. What a pleasure to have Lem home, to attend concerts and go on hikes with him. It was also funny to watch the last episode of "E.R." together, a TV show we haven't seen since Lem was in high school. He explained all that doctor gobbledygook which, it turns out, is real stuff.

The fruit trees are in the ground

After all the preparation and buildup, I finally put the shovel in the ground and planted six fruit trees on the north-facing slope above what will be the garden. Two each of:

* Macintosh apple
* Bartlett pear
* Early Richmond cherry

The surrounding land in the photo looks a little disheveled, but keep in mind just six months ago this was woods so thick you couldn't walk through it without a machete.

The composition of the dirt was a pleasant surprise. It was more loam than clay and had a nice texture. I added a little organic compost but it probably wasn't necessary.

I have on order some garlic clips to put on the trees to try to keep the deer away. I'll also spray the logs I placed around the trees with Liquid Fence. My hope is that grass is so plentiful this spring that the deer with graze elsewhere.

Tomorrow: Building wire supports for the brambles and grapes.

The reason it's called Deerfield

Driving on Deerfield this afternoon, I glanced to my right to see a full-size deer flying through the air toward my truck. The grown doe hit the top of my right front fender, bounced off and landed in the grassy shoulder. When I got out of the truck the deer began pulling itself with its two front legs into the woods. I'm sure it's back was broken.

I was safely within the 25 MPH speed limit on Deerfield, but it wouldn't have mattered what speed I was going. The deer T-boned me.

We love to see the deer grazing in Deerfield. We have seen as many as seven in a neighbor's apple orchard. We sometimes see them from our kitchen window.

Buzzards and turkey vultures will start circling the woods in Deerfield soon. I'll get the truck fixed and life will go on -- minus one beautiful creature.