The Cast of Characters

Someone asked me on flicr, "So, Maia, where are the deer? I've been all over this blog," which I'm sure wasn't too hard to do," and I don't see the deer.  There's a reply I could make about the first page, but I won't.  snicker:)

So here they are:

1.  Pops

Pops is the deer, I mentioned in the previous post.  The one who protected his little group and stood guard while they ate.  At the time I assumed, because he was bigger and more muscular he was a male.  However, after my internet research on deer behavior, I learned that the males do not stay with the females.   So I named her Madge, as that seemed fitting for a large, aggressive, muscular doe.

Then one day last May when I was sitting on my deck watching the group, I noticed something was growing on the top of Madge's head.  What on earth.  I'd been right, Madge wasn't a female at all.   She was a he, and his name is Pops. 

I haven't seen Pops for awhile.  It's rut season and I assume he's out doing his manly bit.  It's a hard job servicing all of those horny does.  But good old Pops is soldiering on and I hope to see him by Christmas.


2.  Charlotte

Charlotte is the alpha doe and if Pops is the protector Charlotte is the disciplinarian and the She Who Must Be Obeyed.  I've seen her run off several stray deer who were naive enough to stumble into her territory.  She decides who in her little group eats first and leaves when.  Up until recently, she was the one who ate first and left last.

She is also an excellent mother.  I'll be writing more about that later.

Vivi

 Vivi is Charlotte's yearling fawn.  She has to be Charlotte's because if she wasn't, Charlotte would have run her off months ago.  She is the one who eats last, if at all,  and leaves first.  I don't know when deer achieve sexual maturity, but things could get interesting if both Charlotte and Vivi end up with fawns next year.  But then again, by the time May rolls around I might notice something growing on the top of her head and decide to name him Victor.  Without getting closer than Vivi would be comfortable with, it's really to soon to tell.

Pixie

Pixie is this year's fawn and the sweetest little pea on the planet.  It's been wonderful watching her discover her world and explore new situations. Her interactions with the cats have been histerical.  I shouldn't have favorites, but this little girl (crossing fingers) is by far mine.  She is now the deer who eats first and leaves last.  But I expect there is a very good reason for this which will go into a later post.