Through the summer of 2009, San Marcos, Texas and almost all of our great State was locked in a terrible drought. There had been no rain for months. When times like this happen people start praying!

Here’s a picture of some deer taken during the drought in early August in a subdivision in San Marcos. Notice the condition of the lawns.

In late August, my Son, Randy, had visited up here in Goldthwaite, a relative oasis of green in a dry,dry, State! He had attended a mens prayer meeting and the men had collectively prayed for rain for our state and our area. This spawned an idea with him and led him to want to pray for rain is San Marcos. He thought, Why not have all the preachers in San Marcos, collectively pray for rain?

When he returned to San Marcos he selected a date for the prayers and contacted the local ministers and the Mayor. The Mayor came to the prayer meeting and did the “welcome address and thanked the ministers for praying for rain.. Collectively the ministers prayed for rain and within ten days their prayers were answered, it rained and it has kept raining!

Then some unusual things happened. The Mayor called Randy and thanked him for leading the prayer effort and then he was called to appear on the local, nightly news. The news had been in attendance at the prayer service and had called Randy when it had started raining. Using this as a witness opportunity, he looked into the camera and said, “As Christians, we believe that if you offer prayers in Jesus’ name, they will be answered in the Lord’s time!”

Tbrowsing on the very green, grass in Randy’s subdivisionhis picture, taken last week, shows some deer browsing on the very green, grass in Randy’s subdivision

End of drought

On Tuesday I drove down to San Marcos, originally to see my Grandson, Austin, play in a middle school football game, but he had come down with something and didn’t get to suit up. His Dad, and my Son, Randy, had a birthday on the 12th and Rebekah, his daughter has a birthday next week, so I thought that I would kill two birds with one stone and deliver their b’day cards in person.

Driving through their subdivision toward their house, on both sides of the street, I started seeing deer, not one or two but bunches! Within three blocks, there must have been a hundred or more and all does or yearlings!

Finally, stopping the truck, I snapped this “shot” at the largest bunch.

Debbie, my Daughter-In-Law, had fixed Randy a late B’day dinner, including cake, and he then rushed of to a planning and zoning meeting, so I enjoyed a nice dinner on their shady, front porch, with Debbie and three of my Grandkids. Debbie mentioned that the city and their subdivision is at a loss about what to do with the deer?

Austin and San Marcos are the two most liberal towns in our state, and this problem could be fixed with bows and arrows, game nets or traps. New Jersey, Connecticut, Neuvo York and Pennsylvania are plagued with deer running wild in their towns and these folks just wring their hands and, like San Marcos, do nothing and the problem grows!

Driving out of their subdivision I spied two bucks and snapped a “shot” at them. They were grazing on the newly sprouted grass.

On August 4th, I posted a story and pictures about “What Is A Melanistic Deer” that Randy had photographed in his subdivision and there was no grass, just dry barren yards.

The city was in the midst of the worst drought in memory.

But the breaking of the drought is another story!

On Saturday the 3rd, we had a half-inch rain, followed by a two inches during the night! No walking on Sunday morning, but Monday, I did get a two-miler in.
Monday morning was cloudy with a heavy, dew as I hurried outside to start my walk and I saw the white first as three does rocketed over my fence, tails high, and into the thick stuff. No pictures since my camera was still in my fanny pack.
County road 408 was muddy, not slushy, as I finished my mile and turned around to head home, then I noticed something small and out of place – a crawdad.
My first impression was that it was an Opelousas Red, but it would be too far from home, so I guessed it was a local “mud bug” having strayed away from a stock tank. With the rocks it looks out of place. Maybe it was just out hunting?
Coming to a curve in the road I noticed animal tracks that weren’t there when I first came by. Maybe a coyote tried to sneak by me?
Closer inspection showed them to be a large dog. The tracks were round and if a coyote, they’d have been more oval.
Last Saturday a neighbor lost three of his hounds. Looks like this one was heading home and snuck past me when I turned the curve.
This was a good walk! I saw some unusual things and I worked up a good sweat!

Many may think that I’m spoiled or else very blessed to be covered up with deer all year. That’s not the case. Right now in Mills County, water is everywhere, acorns cover the ground under our oak trees and deer really have no reason to move around.

Yesterday morning our part of the Texas Hill Country had a heavy dew, almost a sprinkle and as I stepped out for my walk, I thought, Maybe today I’ll get some good pictures, because the last two walks have produced nothing. Walking east on County Rd. 406 for three quarters of a mile the only things stirring were three cows near a stock tank and some goats milling about getting ready for the day’s grazing.

Turning around and heading for home, still nothing and approaching my yard, confusion reigned, deer were running everywhere and I thought, Wait a minute, this is my yard, why all the deer? Trying to snap off a “shot” was as hard as “trying to heard cats”. Snapping off five quick ones with zero results, I was still left with no pictures, only mind pictures of the six deer running around, jumping the fence, tails up, beating a quick retreat out of my yard.

At least walking worked up a good sweat!