Goatie in the Apple Orchard

My Olde Colonial Apple Orchard is bursting with little tart apples. Sister Bernadette tells me the orchard probably dates back to the founding farmers, Lydia and Elisha who are resting across the road. I will leave the delicious little morsels for the goats, sheep, and deer on the run from hunters. There is no hunting on my farm. Part of the reason why I am here is because I couldn't take the blasting going on all around me on the rented pasture I left behind. There is less shooting here than I experienced in western NJ and on the Pa. side of the Delaware river in Riegelsville. A man from the house across the road from the last pasture came over to see me in the field. He found a hole in his little girl's wall and window, made by a rifle bullet. He wanted to know if I did it!!! I found a bullet hole in my bird feeder on the front porch! Yikes! History is full of stories of gun accidents. I didn't want to be one of the unfortunate victims. Sure there is hunting here, too. The locals depend on that meat for food. My helper Randy shot 28 deer last winter and his family ate every morsel. But NOT on MY land. Will, the Pig Farmer, saw a 12 point buck run into my apple orchard and asked me if he could come and shoot it. No Way Jose. I told him just how many little baby deer that big buck would make for them so why shoot it? NO, it had to die he said. Sorry no deal I said. Not on my land. I heard the big deer snorting out in the back some nights. Sadly, he moved on and was probably shot on the next farm. What a magnificent animal he must have been. Sometime later all my big yellow no hunting signs were torn down...I wonder who did it? Sure I can understand shooting deer for food - but what is this blood lust they experience? It's so much FUN for them to take the life of a beautiful wild animal just trying to survive. Matt has hunted at various times in his life, but not now. He says being married to me is much more fun and challenging than hunting.