Reason to wake up early

This handsome buck came along as I was having coffee on the porch this morning. His beauty took my breath away twice: once as he jumped the fence, then again when I saw I'd actually captured his fleeting visit on camera. 

Maybe I should wake up too early more often.

Telltale poops

This morning, I noticed a plethora of persimmon seeds in some deer droppings along the road and realized there must be a persimmon tree in the area. So today's bike mission was to find it.


My horse loves persimmons, and I was eager to bring some back in my bike pouch for him.


I rode around off-trail, checking every small-leafed tree and at last, found one full of round, purple fruit. And then I started seeing them everywhere––including one growing right by the driveway I've ridden down every day for months.


It's amazing what you can find when you set out with intentional observation--and what you miss every day when you think you know your surroundings.

Guarding the garden

About once a week, the deer like to visit my garden and nibble the good parts off my tomato plant. Maybe Mister Purr senses my frustration because he's taken to lounging near it these last few days.

He's my little Garden-Guarding Cougar Cat; such nonchalant vigilance.

"As is the gardener, so is the garden."

Playful in the pasture

The deer came out last night just as it started to rain. I love this picture--not only for the personality of the playful fawn; it also reminds me of an Impressionistic painting and I like how the shapes of the doe and fawn offset each other.


"It's beauty that captures your attention; personality which captures your heart."

Doe, a deer...a female deer

Last week, the doe I see every evening in the pasture brought her fawn out before dusk to graze. Once the protective mom saw me move at my kitchen window, they took off for the safety of the woods. 

Sights like these make me glad to be a city girl in the country.

"It's a helluva start, being able to recognize what makes you happy."
~Lucille Ball

Happy & single on 40 acres

I've been living alone on 40 acres for six months now, and feel compelled to share the joys of country life with anyone who's interested.

Nothing brings me more enjoyment than being outside here: walking around the pasture, feeding my horse and his two companions, watching the alpacas next door, the roadrunners, lizards, deer with their fawns and the giddy squirrel who comes to visit my porch.

I want to use this blog to feature pictures and videos of them all, a daily diary of the wonders of living in Texas Hill Country. I've come a long way to get here: from Boston and New York City to be exact.

And I went from claustrophobic to content.

Thank you to Virginia Goszewska and Barbara Metzger for the idea
to start this web log.