Feeding the multitudes

Getting ready to prepare dinner one night, I glanced out our back window to behold a large herd of deer standing upon our neighbor's front porch -- some pawing at the windows.

That's one large herd of deer knocking at our neighbor's door.

We've seen a bale of hay in the yard - apparently for the deer - and suspected they also put out a salt lick. The kids claimed they had seen a guy come out and hand feed a deer his own sandwich while petting the 4 legged critter.

All we knew was these deer were definitely fans of our neighbor's house and not afraid at all when someone walked outside.

With all this information in my arsenal of knowledge, I was still taken aback at what I saw that day as the deer stood on the porch, agitated, brushing at the windows.

I grabbed my camera - how often do you see deer "knocking" on someone's door?

Minutes later, the sliding door opened and out came an older individual with a pull cart.  Intrigued, I continued snapping pictures and watching what was to unfold.

The infamous pull cart of food

Walking across the porch, pulling the little crate behind, the individual stopped, bent over and began scooping what I can only assume to be grains/corn/seeds - whatever it is one feeds deer out of a box - and pouring it along the benches on the front of the porch.  Scoop after scoop.  Filling first one bench, then another, then a third.

Filling of the troughs - waiting patiently for their meal. Such polite deer.

The deer began nibbling up the tastiness left for them.  Some scrambling along to the next bench to acquire a better spot.

Since that day, it is common for me to observe deer on that porch in the morning as I make our coffee, at noon when I prepare our lunch, and then again in the evening when I start prepping for dinner.

Today was unique.  Before lunch, I had the privilege to watch a small herd of deer slowly meander up our driveway, to the side of our garage.  First a mama and two young does, then a couple young does on their own, next a cluster of 5 deer knowing where lunch would be served, followed by a lone young doe pulling up the rear.

I could only assume they were going to rap on our neighbor's front door.

As time drew near for our own lunch, I made my way to the kitchen. As I glanced out our back window, I took note as the deer from our driveway broke into a sprint.  Bounding their way to the infamous porch, the deer scrambled as the sliding door opened and the food cart made it's way, once again, out to fill the troughs.

A unique turn of events occurred as a second, large herd of deer appeared out of the wooded creek along the side of the house.  Single file, as if on cue,  deer after deer after deer, galloped up the slight slope to make their way to the house that feeds the multitudes -- of deer, that is.