December 3, 2011. Canyon Lake, Texas. The Deer of Village West.

Once upon the time, a river with many tributaries flowed.  The land was forested and was full of deer and other wild creatures.  The Corps of Engineers built a dam on this river, the Guadalupe, in 1964, and the river became a lake, called Canyon Lake.   Soon, houses were built along the shore and in the spaces between the lake, forming subdivisions.

When we first saw our little subdivision, called Village West,  most lots were still forest so the deer were hidden but the good folks who lived there began to feed the deer so the deer became tame and also ate all foliage in sight.   Every year the game commission relocates many deer but the deer are still here and still very tame.  Also very small.  They are half the size of the deer at the ranch.  Most people have fenced their yard. Ken only plants whatever the deer will not eat.  When I take a walk, the deer don't even move away from me.  And when I was carrying the groceries from the car into the house I was forced to close the back of the car to avoid these little deer eating the fruit.  The deer are very sweet and come right up to you.  But I remind myself that the deer are wild animals, but as more and more houses are built on the empty lots, the poor deer will have no place to live.  But I actually like watching them.