The Dying Season

Weather talk dominates Midwest conversations as single digits  are common here. It's bitter cold with windchill temps adding a minus in front of double digits. Hence, a reason why this time of year's referred to as "The Dying Season." 

Out the back bedroom window yesterday I spied at the woods's edge one deer in an opening in the woods.  As she just stood there, I called Natureman to come see her.  He pointed out that I needed to shift my gaze farther up the hill... 

Sure enough she wasn't alone as there were actually 4 other young deer of her herd spread evenly on the hillside munching on branches with dried up brown leaves and chewing on saplings. They were  scavengering for food. When snow covers the ground it's slim pickings and what they find may not be enough to sustain them and this Dying Season will continue  through March. That idiom of " I'm dying from cold " definitely takes on new meaning. In fact, assuming this is the same herd as last summer, it is half the size. (Of course there was hunting season back in November...) 

It's survival of the fittest out here in the End of the Rainbow Valley only I'm lucky even though our wood pile is almost gone, the house will stay warm and our food pantry and freezer still have food to last us until the next growing season. Oh yeah, and we could go to the grocery store...