While at my computer a little while ago, I started to see all sorts of activity in the security camera live feed. A whole lot of deer, making their way down the driveway!

So I headed over to look out a window and see where they were going. Mostly, they were milling around, just beyond the chain link fence, watching something in the yard, intently.

They weren’t going to the feeding station (though we spotted the sad faced, brick of a cat, sitting on the junk pile), so I decided to head outside and see what was going on.

That took longer than expected.

I opened the door from the old kitchen to the sun room, and found the flood covered with black and white, furry beasts.

At least four skunks were in the sun room, eating the kibble!

Two took off right away, but these two would not leave! I ended up having to get a spray bottle and spritz them with water to get them out.

Meanwhile, Rolando Moon was in her bed in the shelf, just watching them. !!

I didn’t even try to take stills in the fading light, but tried to get some video. It wasn’t very good, either, but I could at least get this screen capture.

They ran off as I came closer, but then I saw them on the camera again, coming back.

Several had already gone by, but in this image, you can see another four of them across the road, and another making its way to the gate!

While I was out, I found there was no kibble left for the cats at all, so I refilled their trays, then headed inside. When I saw that the deer were returning, I headed back out again.

Guess who else was back?

Yup. One of the stinkers was back, eating at one of the newly refilled kibble trays.

Using flash didn’t help see the skunk better, but I love the red, heart shaped glowing eyes of the cat on the left! 😀

Unfortunately, there was no way to chase off the skunk without also chasing off the cats, which certainly won’t help our socializing efforts.

More reason to looking forward to being able to close the doors to the sun room again. Hopefully, this will be the last night we need to leave them access to the heated water bowl in the sun room. Temperatures are still dropping below zero overnight, but not so low as to freeze their water bowls solid.

Between the deer and the skunks, no wonder we’re going through the kibble so fast outside!

Oh, and now I’m watching three more deer crossing the driveway from the barn yard to the spruce grove.

A fourth one just joined them.

I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many deer in my entire life, as I have this spring!

The Re-Farmer