Deer Damage

There is a lot going on in my life right now, but I'm learning the most from the deer. They got into my newly fenced garden and did major damage. The apple tree that they had decimated every year since I planted it was looking gorgeous this year. Not any more. In addition to the apple tree, they got 3 of the rose bushes that I had transplanted, a zebra tomato, a watermelon, the tops of most of my sugar peas, a squash plant that Raymond gave me, and all the blooms on the dahlias. Talk about a lesson in letting go.

But here is the really sad part. It's my own stupidity that set me up for this disappointment. After they ate half of what is listed above, Cindy and I went to work reinforcing the top of the fence, making it higher and hanging prayer flags. It seemed like it would keep them out. The next morning I was doing my spiritual reading about 5am and glanced out the window to see a deer in the garden. I flew out of the chair, ran through the house, and when I opened the back door I saw him/her scoot out through a 2 foot hole at the bottom of the fence. DUH!!

Needless to say, we reinforced the bottom of the fence all the way around that night. Now I'm trying to focus on enjoying the best geranium bloom I've ever had and the abundance in the butterfly garden I planted last year. But every morning, the first thing I do is check to see if all is safe in the fenced garden.