Oh Deer ... Not You Again!

 ... The Deer ...

 I saw our visitors before the westies and managed

to get a few decent photo's through the kitchen window.

Then I let the little white terrors out to bark.

I didn't realize deer shed until I looked at these photo's.

To confirm that fact I did I a little research which is below. 

Are there two different color phases of white-tailed deer?  No

White-tailed deer have two different coats of hair during the year.

 The gray winter coat is comprised of longer guard hairs 

and a soft woolly underfur that provide insulation from the cold. 

This thicker winter coat is shed prior to the hot summer months. 

This shorter summer coat is reddish-brown and lacks

 the thick insulating underfur. The summer coat hairs are short and wiry.
A genetic defect produces a few white-tailed deer that

 are brown and white spotted, similar to a pinto horse. 

These white-tailed deer are called piebald. 

When is the white-tailed deer breeding season?

Maryland white-tailed deer breeding season begins

 in mid October and continues into mid December. 

The onset of breeding season is triggered by the shortening

 of day length (photo period) which affects the pineal gland in both bucks and does.

 The peak of breeding occurs during the first half of 

November when most fawns are conceived.

 Do white-tailed deer shed their antlers every year?   Yes

Male white-tailed deer grow and shed their antlers every year. 

Antlers are composed of true bone. 

Antler growth begins in late March or early April and

 the growing bone is covered by skin with numerous blood vessels (velvet). 

In late summer and early fall, testosterone levels increase. 

This hormone elevation results in the antlers hardening 

and the buck rubs off the drying velvet. 

When testosterone levels begin to drop, antlers start to 

shed beginning in mid January. Deer that are in the best physical 

condition will lose their antlers later in the winter.

 Deer Candy = My Azalea Plants

How fast can a white-tailed deer run & how high can they jump?

White-tailed deer have been reported to run 

at speeds reaching 35 miles per hour. 

This speed cannot be maintained for long distances.

White-tailed deer are able to clear a 7-foot fence from a standing position. 

If the deer is running, an 8-foot fence can be jumped.

...

The Cherry Blossoms Are Gone

...

 The beautiful cherry blossoms we enjoyed have

fallen to the ground making our flower beds

look like a little fairy garden.

Bye-Bye cherry blossoms ... we'll see you next year.