Sprayed Black & Deer Paths

Improvements at Windy Firs continue, albeit at a less frantic pace.

A graveled path, bordered by landscaping logs, has been built between the chicken coop and the stoop leading to steps to our deck and the back door to the garage. We have a small 10 foot section left to finish but the rest is done now. It looks amazing and will make the wet months far less muddy for daily chores and getting around. Another gravel walkway off that path leading to the sidewalk next to the polebarn is planned to be done by early autumn so the guys can reach their tiny house in the back without being bogged down in mud as well.

An old round side table with a shelf on it was spray-painted black so it matched the ‘lounge’ feel of our upstairs rec room. Looks great! Gerick also spray-painted an antique trunk with a humped top (like a pirate chest) black, and it now resides in our living room. A place to store awkward things like game systems and games that otherwise just make a big junky pile. Again– looks wonderful!

Finally, since it was cooler this weekend (for a wonder, though another heat wave is set to hit us at the end of next week) we all went out to trail blaze paths from our back yard into the forest next to us. We got one started using a machete and clippers. There’s much still to do, but we got a good start.

Already one young doe discovered it and is using it as a short cut to the back yards. She keeps stopping to be fascinated by the guy’s cat, Nimbus. Nim is a BIG cat, genuinely built large as well as fat (he’s losing weight now that he hangs outside and walks around all the time though). He was puffed up the first time the curious deer came to check him out, lunging at this animal far larger than himself, but he refused to back down or run away. She kept sniffing until he tried to smack her nose and then did a little prancing dance away, only to go right back to being amazed by him and trying to sniff him. Eventually, we came out and she left because 4 humans were worried about the cat. This morning, Darcy and I caught them together again, only now Nim was sitting and not puffed up, just growling. The doe was once more mesmerized by this stubborn cat, and once more moved on only when she saw people come out. It almost looks like she wants to be friends with the cat, who may be amenable to it at some point in the future, since he IS calming down.

Too strange and yet adorable! If I can get a photo or video of it happening again, I’ll have to post it. To begin with, we were too worried that the cat would get a hoof in the face to stop and record it. But it appears that things are calming down between the ruminant and the feline. We’ll have to see.

Stress levels finally seem to be going down. We don’t have another visitor until Cat comes to stay for a few days at the beginning of August, though– so the pressure is off a little on that count. We can work on our own things and not have to fret over entertaining visitors for a while, which is nice. The biggest worry I have now is the little Japanese maples we planted withering in the heat and dry weather we’ve had. I’m being extra vigilant to water them at least every other day– and every day it gets above 90. Hopefully they make it to the rainy season! We’ve lost some heather, a rosemary bush (though I have 4 more doing great) a couple of decorative plants, and the mints are wilting periodically. Other than that, our transplants are coming through well.