ADORABLE: Getting ready for winter

We've had a resident woodchuck in our backyard for several years now - and this is the time of year when they start to get really fat!  This year momma woodchuck has two little ones, and they all seem to spend most of their time under our apple tree or our neighbor's pear tree.  The best part is - they sit upright on they're hind legs and eat the fruit with they're paws.  The way they eat is so human- like, they almost look like cartoon characters.

ADORABLE: Deer Rest in the Backyard

Several nights this summer we've gotten some four legged visitors to our backyard.  This picture was taken earlier this week - one of two deer laying on the grass for at least 20 minutes.  They're usually drawn the shade and the food provided by our apple tree.  We're wondering if this deer was in a fight with another animal, or was in some sort of accident - there's a few spots near its rump (look for the light colored patches on the right) that look torn up.  Overall, it seems pretty healthy.

Here's the second deer poking at the grass looking for anything tasty!  I started keeping my camera on hand so I can take a few pictures on the nights they show up.  These shots would probably have come out better if I didn't have to shoot through the screen of a sliding glass door.

This has been a common sight in our backyard for the past 20 years or so - ever since we moved in.  Before several new sub-divisions popped up around us, there used to be a lot of orchards and fields in the area.  The deer had a regular route from one to the other, that involved our backyard along the way.  Despite the new home developments, there are still a lot of fruit trees left  - so the deer continue to make their rounds.  And we continue to enjoy their visits!