I live downtown, in a ground floor apartment, facing a busy city street. Wildlife is scarce, mostly birds. Last Friday evening, after dark, son No. 2 and I were watching TV when we heard thumping noises outside.
We both have new hearing aids and keep hearing things we hadn’t heard before, and we thought it was the wind. When the thumps persisted son opened the door to investigate. He let out a yelp — the thumper was a big buck with huge antlers who stood his ground, meeting son eye to eye — almost nose to nose. When he was good and ready, he left, joining a small herd of fawns and does (seven within sight) waiting on the lawn. Son and I went back to TV.
Soon there were more thumps. Mr. Buck & Co. were back. We watched through the window. They were after bird seed. The birds who use my feeder are really messy. They throw seeds all over the place. The deer did such a great job cleaning up they can come back anytime.
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It seems the buck and his entourage tour the town and he doesn’t back down for anyone.
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The scams continue. I received another email, supposedly from a friend, asking me to buy a present for her niece. Recently there’s a new twist to an older scam. I get so many phone calls from a recorded voice warning me about misuse of a credit card I don’t have, or the U.S. revenue is out to get me, that I don’t pick up the phone for unknown numbers. Recently I was fooled by a phony recorded call from a 392 number. I called the number back — it wasn’t “in service.”
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Let’s hope Mother Nature realizes spring starts on Saturday, March 20.
Diana French is a freelance columnist for the Tribune. She is a former Tribune editor, retired teacher, historian and book author.
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