We don't have any official pets here in Needhamia--though we are definitely dog people. But we do have wildlife in great abundance. Raccoons, opossum, squirrel, chipmunks, coyote and deer. Lots of deer.
Lots of cute, landscape-munching deer. The month of May is deer foaling (is that the right word?) time in Western Oregon, so the adorable baby Bambis ought to be bouncing through the yard and bounding into the forest in a few weeks.
A Lawn Appetizer before the Azalea Entre.

Our new retaining wall in the backyard is made of basalt boulders that average 3 ft in diameter, and since basalt is a crystal it tends to break off into either concave or convex shapes at the rock yard. Our landscape architect placed this boulder upright so that the natural bowl would serve as a bird bath. Which it does very nicely. But one morning we discovered another use, as five deer--two does, two fawns and a young buck--wandered through the yard and took their time draining the bird bath. Next they'll be using our fridge.

Here's a little three-month old guy who liked to test out his legs at top speed, making big circles through the pasture, past his mom and the other grazing deer. He'd stop short then take off running again, spinning cookies around the trees. Funniest thing. My husband managed to get a photo of him in action.

A picnic table beneath the birdfeeder just outside our window started to draw a couple of chipmunks. They were happy to pick up the leavings--until one of them discovered that the window screen made a great ladder to the feeder. Notice the size of his over-stuffed cheeks.

Just call him Double-O-Raccoon.
Caught on
videotape
late one night.

Our hummingbirds have A-T-T-I-T-U-D-E-S. We can stand within a foot of the feeder and they come to dine anyway--barking at us all the time they're feeding.