Twin Fauns

by Pat Antonopoulos

Four spindle legs and dozens of those baby spots...alert and alone near the huge Halloween tree. The doe is behind the shed feeding on whatever plant is left after a summer of deer munching.

Faun-watchers most certainly invented the word 'frolic'. From a standing start, those little legs can carry a faun over the fence landing in a full-tilt run. They are beautiful animals.

And so were my plantings...beautiful. Now they are reduced to chewed-off stubs. At times, the adult deer have stood with front hoofs on the deck, reaching around the honeysuckle, to finish a breakfast of beauty.

There is a limit to the amount of netting we are willing to drape. The odor of the invisible fence spray goes from smell to stench in 50 seconds.

Of course, there are more drastic measures. Local parks have tried. But this morning, watching the twins return our quiet interest, it feels like a fair trade.
Wonder what our reaction will be in the spring as we begin the cycle again.