Smart Critters

In Saturday’s blog I showed you a picture of a big buck deer that was standing in our yard looking in the window at Terry Friday night. He came back with a bunch of his friends on Saturday night, and our porch camera got video of at least two big bucks, maybe three, and a couple of does.

We could see one of the bucks shaking his head and batting something around, but we weren’t sure what it was until yesterday. That’s when we discovered that he had been smacking Terry’s bird feeder with his antlers, getting it to rock back and forth so he could empty the feed. It had been completely full, but there wasn’t a bit left. To top it off, they ate all the flowers off her rose bushes! They’re smart critters. I’ll give them that.

We decided to beat them at their own game, so we moved the bird feeder to the backyard, which is enclosed by a 6-foot high fence. Or maybe they beat me at their game, because I also went to Tractor Supply and bought 50 pounds of deer pellets. I put some out in a big plastic tub yesterday evening. I also bought an SD card for the porch camera and hopefully can get some better video this time around.

While I was out running errands yesterday, Terry was prepping a rack of ribs and then put them on the Pit Boss smoker. My gosh, they were delicious! Since Terry doesn’t care much for ribs, there’s enough left over for my dinner tonight, while she has something with vegetables in it again. Yuck!

Congratulations Patty Richardson, winner of our drawing for an autographed copy of Storm Tide, the first book in author MJ Witt’s MacKay’s Justice series. After years of chasing America’s most dangerous fugitives, US Marshal Will MacKay seeks solace in the rugged Highlands of Scotland to reconnect with his ancestral roots. But when a notorious fugitive escapes custody and kills a fellow marshal in the process, MacKay is thrust back into action. The chase takes a chilling turn as he uncovers the fugitive’s ties to a deadly terrorist plot orchestrated by radical Scottish nationalists.

In a land steeped in legend and blood, MacKay will face the ultimate test – loyalty to his badge or loyalty to his heritage.

To enter, click on this Free Drawing link or the tab at the top of this page and enter your name (first and last) in the comments section at the bottom of that page (not this one). Only one entry per person per drawing please, and you must enter with your real name. To prevent spam or multiple entries, the names of cartoon or movie characters are not allowed. The winner will be drawn this evening. Note: Due to the high shipping cost of printed books and Amazon restrictions on e-books to foreign countries, only entries with US addresses and e-mail addresses are allowed. After 30 days, unclaimed prizes revert back to the drawing pool for a future contest.

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Did you know that you can find all of my books and sign up for my free author’s newsletter on my website at www.nickrussellbooks.com?

And finally, here’s a chuckle to start your day from the collection of funny signs we see in our travels and that our readers share with us. Our longtime friend Diane Melde sent me this sign about a couple of critters I don’t want to run into.

Thought For The Day – If you want to keep something concealed from your enemy, don’t disclose it to your friend.