Chicks and Bucks

The light rain yesterday lasted most of the morning.  While it prevented me from mowing any more yards, it's hard to complain about the cooling effects.  It also settled the dust that is the bane of our lives in summer.  I'd feared that if it heated up later on it would be a humid day, but it just stayed cool.  Deb and Craig are coming up today and I got some housecleaning done.  Craig has been on the hunt for more Silkies and found a source in Davis.  Who knows, the girls may have new companions.  The little ones have adapted well to their dog crate home and tuck themselves in at dusk, eagerly awaiting release in the morning. 

Just before going out last evening, I glanced down to the front orchard and saw a beautiful big buck browsing for leaves in the plum trees.  He was a two-point, or forked horn, but his rack was impressive, the antlers at least two feet long, with a wide spread, still in velvet.  The question has arisen in the past, so perhaps I should explain that here on the west coast, only the points (prongs) on one side are counted.  Back east and in Texas, this buck would be considered a four-pointer, as they count all points.  Velvet is the term used for the blood-rich, soft covering that feeds the growing antlers.  This covering later dries and shreds as the horns harden, and the deer rub it off on trees and shrubs, in preparation for the battles they face in rutting season.  I wish it had been light enough to take a photo last night.