I was working on my blog about the Archeological Museum of Naples this morning when I looked up and saw a black tail deer staring in the window. She was about five feet away. I think she wanted to know what I was doing inside on a beautiful spring day.
Fortunately I had my camera next to me so I snapped her picture. Soon after she and two of her companions had bedded down in our back yard and were sniffing the daffodils.
I decided she was right. What was I doing inside on a beautiful spring day? So I shut down my MacBook, grabbed my camera and went for a walk. The Archeological Museum could wait another day. I decided to blog about our home here in Southern Oregon.
We live about 30 miles west of Medford and five miles north of the California border, out in the woods, so to speak. The Red Buttes of the Siskiyou Mountain Range and the beautiful Applegate River are out front. Our property borders on close to a million acres of national forest land and wilderness in back.
Our elevation is 2000 feet, just high enough for three or four snowstorms that always manage to melt off in a day or two. Our five acres are totally wooded and include Ponderosa Pines, White Oaks, Red Cedars, Madrone, and Douglas Fir. A small spring provides water for the wildlife in summer.
Deer, fox, skunks and a multitude of squirrels consider our property home. An occasional bear drops by and my neighbors tell me that a cougar comes down off the mountain on occasion. A couple of months ago a coyote checked us out.
Yesterday we watched a Red Tailed Hawk pick up a small ground squirrel. (Peggy squealed so loud in delight, the hawk dropped the squirrel.) Last fall I watched a Golden Eagle grab a snake in our front yard. A pair of Bald Eagles nest near by and a large Pileated Woodpecker makes the forest ring with his pounding. Numerous species of birds either live here year around or migrate through in the spring and fall.
If I seem to be in love with the area, I am. Peggy and I moved here two years ago after wrapping up a three-year exploration of North America in a 22-foot RV. I don’t think we’ll be moving again. (grin) Here are some more photos taken at various times of the year.
NEXT BLOG: Back to Naples and the Archeological Museum (Unless it is too nice outside.)