Posted on 07/03/2014 4:32:07 PM PDT by lee martell
I was heading home after visiting friends in Emmeryville, a small industrial town near the Oakland/ Berkeley borders. It was a little after 11pm when I made a left turn off the freeway, onto my neighborhood block. The night fog had begun to gather, floating slightly above the cooling earth. I was approaching the first traffic stop at a four way intersection when I saw something spring up near the passenger side of my car. What I first thought was a very large Great Dane turned out to be a mature adult deer. Although I should have known no one would allow their purebred Great Dane walk around unleashed at night (they're worth too much money) it would not have been out of the question. I often see unusual dog breeds around here. I see Borzois, Whippets and a set of Dalmatians who are walked every morning before seven.
So this Deer reared up and jumped back onto the sidewalk on my left. I had a Green Light, but I decided to just stop and let him go across. This Deer must be domesticated just enough to know that these two ton driving machines with humans often stops for a little while, so it seemed ready to proceed. Before the Deer crossed in front of my car, I could see he was not alone, behind him was a Doe, and behind her was a small Fawn with knobby knees. The Fawn looked to have been whelped a few months back. There was still the downy fringe remnants of baby fur on it's legs and back. Funny how they almost always travel in threes. So after all three took a look at each other, the male was brave enough to lead them across the street to safety. Their hooves clip-clopped against the cemented sidewalks on this quiet night. Four seconds later, all three had disappeared into some brush I never before noticed.
It would have bothered greatly me if I had hit the Deer. Nobody around here wants that. Even though we know the Deer are not in danger of extinction. Still, they were among the first residents, with us coming much later. Well, the only exception may be the slowly growing numbers of street people who go down to the Civic Center Pond and catch some Canadian Geese for their supper. Praise God, I have not been that desperate so far.
Roger that!!!
What is that Green Machine? It’s monsterous!
LOL That’s great!
Geez, it took me longer to read your vanity post than what you had actually experienced. No further comments.
it is a john deere harvester with a 12 row corn head probably close to half million $ has multiple other heads to harvest grains. wheat. oats soy beans
I'll give ya some slack!
Ha!!
No worries........Just not sure I'd ever mistake a deer for a dane..............
Then this morning I thought I hit a horned lark, but I think I just missed it.
It's been a crapshoot this week for me and the animals.
Joe Deer (language warning.....this is fake but hilarious)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ty6JPyr2XZ0
Might have been a zombie deer.....
Are you goofin Mr./Ms. Martell?
From where do you hail?
It is a John Deere combine, used to harvest small grains (that one) and row crops too.
It’s Mr. and yeah, I’m goofing a little bit. I just saw the movie “Transformers” and enjoyed it. Some of the effect of that movie remains in my head. I’m from Michigan, and “we” used to be well known for our Apples and our Cherries. So, yes, though I’ve never worked on a farm, I’ve driven past a number of industrial grade farms, far to the north of Detroit and near Windsor, Ontario. I cannot say if Michigan is still strong in agriculture or not.
You have a better eye than I.
I guessed it was a grain header on it.
We never saw corn crops when/where I grew up though they grow corn back there now.
And the machines are so vastly different.
When I lived out in Idaho during the past decade I had a neighbor whose father had cleared and plowed forest land for farming behind a team of horses.
His son now runs a fleet of big machines just like the one we were looking at.
I don’t know where you live, but we had an interesting experience a few years back that may be applicable.
Texas was in the heart of a horrible drought. Everything was dead. There was a serious crisis and ranchers were forced to kill off a large part of their herds. You couldn’t give away a horse.
So, no deer. Our field used to be overrun with them, but they disappeared.
My daughter found them. A herd of almost 50 were assembled the next town over by the river. They found water and greens and they just hung out in the plentiful place until there was enough for them to move on later.
Deer aren’t stupid.
Deer are browsers and will eat anything with moisture in the leaves. I’ve seen them eating cedar / juniper and prickly pear cactus. And if they don’t leave my pears alone, they may get butt shot with a pellet gun.
BTW - would have read much better if you had begun with, "It was a dark and rain-less night...".
Ouch !
I was selling asphalt at the time.
Too bad you weren't living in Michigan at the time, you could have retired early.........
Obviously they put their head through your grill to get some liquid out of your radiator.
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