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Ellen: The Beat Goes On

Wednesday, February 24, 2016

Two lady cardinals have a chat. You'd think there was a mirror.


And the purple finch wonders, "Does this cardinal make me look fat?"



One interesting thing about photographing these deer every chance I get is documenting changes in their appearance--seasonal and otherwise.

When Beck, Ellen's beautiful son, showed up on February 19, 2016, only his pedicels said he once wore a crown. I was surprised he'd dropped his antlers so soon.

At 2 1/2 years old, he's still slight enough to be mistaken for a big doe.


Oh how I would love to find the antlers that left those pedicel scars. I've looked. I'll keep looking. The snow queered my search.  They show up best on sodden leaves.


Tell me where you dropped 'em, Beck. Please. I'll give you a little corn.


Meanwhile, I keep shooting his little mama Ellen. 


and I've noticed a change in her bad eye.


 I don't think she has sight in it as yet, but it looks to me that the scarred corneal zone is smaller than it was when she first showed up injured in January.

Here she is on 1/31/16.



And on Feb. 17. Maybe healing. Wouldn't it be nice?


Of course, I would love to think she could regain sight in that eye, but I don't know enough about it to prognosticate.


And Ellen won't say.

I'll just love her as she is, and not hold back and hope for her to be any different or better. That's all we can do for the ones we love. Even, and especially, the ones we love most of all.



 Every time she stumbles back into the trees, I wonder if she'll show up again. And she always does.



6 comments:

You have us all hoping that she keeps getting on OK. Thanks for the continuation of her story!

I have seen a doe in the fields near where the deer ran into my car. Her left front leg appears to be broken which makes me pretty sure it was she. She appears healthy, tho of course she limps. She has made it through the winter.

Ellen, the little doe that could.

Posted by Gail Spratley February 24, 2016 at 7:49 PM

Awe what a great story always told in an enlightening way.come on Ellen ... rah, rah, rah!

Love this post.

found this handy listing of deer diseases.... keretosis...

http://deerfarmer.org/index.php/component/content/article?id=130:infectious-diseases-affecting-cervids

apparently you should catch her and administer penicillin... that should be easy, right? Since you're away, the guys can do it and let you know how it turns out.

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