Wednesday, January 5

boxing day visitors

due to the wretched weather my parents did not make it to ours for a weeks holiday which was to begin on boxing day...

it was the same as last year - all the excitement of the visit only for my emotions to come crashing down when the news arrives that it is just too risky to travel 700 + miles in snow...

i tried my best not to think about it all christmas day but i just knew that my heart would be heavy as i opened my eyes on boxing day morning..

and then it happened...
a truly amazing, magical most wonderful gift...

stephen opened the door to let the dogs out and found that we did have visitors..
just not the ones that we were expecting...



two of the most beautiful creatures

right
outside
our door

startled by us and the hounds they jumped over fences in to other fields...
not at any great speed which meant we had a long time to just gaze in awe...



we think it may have been mother and child as the slightly larger was able to leap the fences with grace whilst the smaller seemed very unsure and paced the fence line for a time before making the leap...



it was only later in the day when i visited the veggie garden that i realised why they had paid us a visit..
all out sprouts, broccoli and cabbages eaten right down to the ground...
mounds of snow carefully pushed all around the forlorn stumps...
they must have been truly starving to venture down from the hills behind, past other dwellings and in a very exposed site..
poor things..



and whilst we were looking forward to spring cabbages, the hope that our tiny vegetable garden could have helped these two sweet things survive a hideous spell of wintry weather kind of makes us not care a jot!



not a replacement for my parents and all the love and joy that would have filled our house at the end of 2010, but a very welcome and truly amazing sight..

a gift from mother nature just when i needed one most

xx

12 comments:

  1. Like you said, shame about the veggie patch, but I can imagine your excitment!

    Vanessa x

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  2. What a magical thing and well I think I wouldn't mind either if they ate my veggies to survive. Lovely photos of these beautiful creatures.
    love
    Lyn
    xxx

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  3. I know exactly how you feel, I remember going down to the beach last year to walk Daisy and seeing seals sunbathing on the rocks for the first time. I'm not ashamed to say I shed a tear of joy... nature is truely amazing..
    Pene x

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  4. How sweet that they 'shared' your veggies.

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  5. Amazing, how lucky you are to have seen them x

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  6. I'm already hoping they realise how kind you are and come back again if they're in need once more.

    X

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  7. You were so privileged to have such lovely visitors. Yes, they must have been very hungry to venture down into your garden.
    We have a veg patch and suffer from visits from rabbits - but who puts out peelings in the snow "because the rabbits will be hungry!". My husband thinks I'm crackers.
    Carol xx

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  8. Lovely visitors. Deer hunting season just ended here last weekend. Thank goodness! I cry every time I see one that has been killed. They are beautiful creatures. We have an albino buck that lives behind my house. I haven't seen him lately, but hope he survived.

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  9. How lovely. It sounds like they had a very good lunch. Such a nice feeling to think that you have helped folk in need x

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  10. What a magical start to your day! I would have been the same as you, happy for the deer to have the veggie, because at least I can go to the supermarket to buy food, whereas they can't really can they?! Still, when you've been growing something, it is a shame to see it demolished. Better the deer than slugs or snails! Vanessa xxx

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  11. What a wonderful attitude, and one my other half has completely, if we have food all our animals domestic or wild are welcome to share it.

    We are in the very fortunate position of having Roe and Muntjac deer roaming wild all around the farm, but we always stop and marvel when we accidently startle some and they bound gracefully away, leaping tall hedges and fences with ease.

    Truly a magical sight and a wonderous thing to live so close to nature. I can see how it ALMOST made up for not seeing your expected visitors on Boxing day. I think most peoples plans went slightly to pot this year...ours certainly did!!

    Sue xx

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  12. Sounds lovely deer :-) Time to head south though!

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