This morning when I opened the front door Charlie bolted for the uphill fence line by the road. There were 4 or 5 deer munching on my neighbors yard.

The youngest took off and hid behind my neighbors house. The older deer stood by the hedge at the west of her house.

THen they & Charlie had a stare down. He had barked as he ran to the fence then stood silent.

I called him off and we began our laps. Each time we came 'round to the front door the deer are edged back to where they had been when he first saw them.

This continued for a few more laps till the youngest neared the chain link fence again. Charlie barked and off they lept on to the road and across to a large wooded area south west of our property. Non of them returned even after Charlie went inside.

That was his first time that the older deer stood their ground with Charlie. They don't seem to find me threatening and with Charlie, depending on where the deer are in my neighbors big backyard, they watch Charlie chase his ball. Occasionally he runs to the back northwest corner to stare at them. They stare back and then everyone goes back to munching or ball chasing.

I love it.

This week I have been supplying in the shell peanuts for the squirrels, It was fun to realize I was also feeding the resident Ladder-backed Woodpecker who likes my Cedar trees and will happy peck away as I watch from my porch.

But this week I discovered he has been stealing peanuts and larger seeds from the feeders off my back door that faces downhill. It is beautiful. A head of bright red with white and black stripes or areas. but along his back and wings the black ladder rung feathers lay crosswise. Beautiful and the sound of woodpecker is so - romantic, mystical, I can't find the right word to describe how it makes me feel. I just know it feels good.

The squirrels now have 4 feeders where I put 4 or 5 peanuts. I added a feeder since the Woodpecker is helping itself to the nuts.

I have seen 4 or 5 squirrels. The one with the damaged tail is almost back to normal. I believe it is the one who sticks around the longest when I appear in the yard. And I think lives in the wooded area behind my uphill neighbors wooded area.

One comes from my uphill neighbors wooded area. A second comes from across the road across from my downhill neighbors home where my neighbor there has another large wooded area.

Then I believe the last two come from the wooded area surrounding my yard and down through another large wooded area that backs up to the mailboxes.

Last but not least is the Roadrunner that lives in our area. I think in the woods by the mailboxes. The deer also hang out in that area so I can have deer on all sides and in the street as well.

But the Roadrunner wanders the yards.. not mine as it is fenced in as are parts of the other yards. But where no fence it scurries along the road in to and out of our joint wods.

I was going to say all we need is a Coyote... but when I first moved here as I walked to the mailbox a coyote stepped out on to the road in front of me.

I froze, it froze and a few minutes passed as we stared at each other. Then it casually continued on its way. It was a small coyote in comparison to the ones at BOR... but still what a few moments that was.

All this happened within a few days of each other. How wonderful to have these moments of joy.

Hope you have moments as wonderful.