Monday, September 30, 2019

Cheddars – Knoxville Tennessee


We decided to have an early dinner at Cheddar's Scratch Kitchen in Knoxville.  I usually avoid large chains but Laurie really likes Cheddar's and she’d been wanting to go back again as it has been quite a while since our last visit to any Cheddar's restaurant.


This is the front of the Cheddar's Scratch Kitchen on Kingston Pike in Knoxville. (The chain was formerly known as Cheddar's Casual Café)

Cheddar's was founded in 1979 and it now has over 171 company owned or franchised locations spread across 28 states.  Cheddar's has been owned by Darden Restaurants since 2017.  Darden also owns and operates other popular restaurant chains such as Olive Garden, Longhorn Steakhouse and The Capital Grille to name a few.



These photos of the bar and a small section of the dining areas was taken in mid-afternoon on a weekday.  Trust me, during lunch and dinner dining hours, we’ve never seen a Cheddar's that wasn’t packed with folks! 

FYI, my wife loves those ceiling fans.  If you have ever visited a restaurant called the Bombay Bicycle Club, that’s where we first saw this type of fan.


This is part of the huge fish tank that separates the bar area from the dining areas.  Fish tanks like this is a major decorative feature at Cheddar's.  They are very appealing to the eye but I can’t imagine the maintenance it takes to keep these bit tanks clean and functioning!


We both started our early dinner with a very nice cup of Broccoli and Cheese Soup. ($3.49) We liked this soup so much that when we got home Laurie researched and found the Cheddar's recipe for it on line!


Laurie ordered a dinner salad for her entrée.  This was her Crispy Chicken Tender Salad. ($9.29) Hand-breaded sliced chicken tenders, fresh greens, cheddar and jack cheese, tomatoes and carrots combined to make this salad large and tasty.  Laurie isn’t a big fan of iceberg lettuce though, so she’d probably order a different salad the next time.  She loved that flaky honey-butter drizzled croissant though…

The Crispy Chicken Tender Salad comes with Honey Mustard salad dressing but our they put Cheddar's Caesar dressing on it by mistake.  She offered to correct her error and brought honey mustard dressing to the table just in case… However, it was a happy mistake and Laurie decided that the Caesar dressing was more to her liking anyway.  She couldn’t finish this big salad but the remainder made for a nice lunch the next day.


I ordered a side Caesar salad with my entrée. ($.99 with the entrée) It was very nice and just the right size with plenty of Caesar dressing throughout… I’d take a couple of bites out of my tasty croissant before taking the photo.

Note:

So back to Laurie’s entrée.  What is a chicken ‘tender’?  Technically, a chicken tender or tenderloin is a strip of breast meat that is part of the breast but not really connected so that it can be separated and used as it is. The Puritan Restaurant in Manchester New Hampshire claims to have invented the chicken tender.  However, on December 10, 1982, fried chicken tenders first appeared on a menu at the Sheraton-Aurora Inn in Aurora Ohio.  By 1987, Banquet Foods was marketing 9 oz. packages of chicken tenders and the rest, as they say, is history!


I ordered the Country Fried Chicken as my entrée. ($11.49) The hand-battered chicken breasts (too large to be ‘tenders’) were served on a slice of Texas toast topped with a white gravy.  It was served with mashed potatoes and Southern style green (Italian) beans.  I skipped almost all of the mashed potatoes as it was overkill given the salad and croissant. 

The potatoes were OK, the beans were good and so was the fried chicken.  The white gravy was ‘just there’ and didn’t add much flavor to anything. (Bland for the masses?) A bottle of Tabasco saved the day!  I certainly got a lot for the money!  I brought home one of those chicken breasts for a future breakfast…but that’s another story.

This particular Cheddar's Scratch Kitchen Restaurant is located at 8390 Kingston Pike in Knoxville Tennessee.  Phone: 865-851-923.  The company’s website is at https://cheddars.com/.

Just click on any of the photos to enlarge them…

Thanks for stopping by for a visit!

Take Care, Big Daddy Dave

Friday, September 27, 2019

Farmacy – A Restaurant


While searching for a restaurant that we’d been referred to by friends, Laurie ‘discovered’ another one we didn’t know about on Knoxville’s Riverside Drive.  The on-line menu looked very interesting.  When we went into Knoxville to shop for some new shoes for yours truly, a short drive for an early dinner followed…


This is the understated front of Farmacy, a small restaurant buried in the middle of strip shopping center.  Note the ‘silverware’ preceding the restaurant’s name on the building…


Farmacy is part of the current restaurant trend or minimizing payroll costs by having customers place their orders at the counter when you enter.  It’s a trend that we don’t mind if the food is delivered to the table and the quality is there…

FYI, Tyler at the left in this photo, was extremely helpful and knowledgeable.  He was a former Starbucks barista and he had the right personality for his current position.  He helped us with making our dinner selections.  He was proud that the restaurant is owned and operated by a female chef, Bettina Hamblin, and that as the name implies, ‘Farmacy’ provides as many farm to table items as the seasons and local producers can provide.



There is a serving area for coffee, tea, etc. that also offers a selection of hot sauces, including my long-time standby, Tabasco.  The restaurant itself is small…long and narrow with seating along the wall all the way to the back.  The live greenery and little lights brighten up the space a bit.

Now onto the food!


For our starter, we ordered “The Stack”. ($7.95) The Stack was constructed with excellent fried green tomatoes, stacked with artichoke pesto, marinara, goat cheese and fresh basil.  We agreed that these were the best fried green tomatoes that we’d ever had!  Our taste buds were just humming! 

On our next visit to Farmacy, I want to try the Black and Blue Fries, hand cut fries drenched in Nashville hot chicken sauce, homemade buttermilk, blue cheese crumbles, candied bacon and chives… FYI, a daily soup is also on the menu and for the day we were there it was Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Bisque.


For my entrée, I chose the “Hot Chicken”. ($12.95) This was Nashville style fried chicken served on a piece of Texas toast, topped with house-made pickles, sided with French fries and served with buttermilk dressing to cut the burn… I didn’t need or want the buttermilk dressing as I relish the burn!  The chicken was too hot for Laurie but not for me.  It was both sweet and savory and it was very good.  I prefer the heat over the sweet but that’s just a matter of preference.  Those French fries were way above average!

Choosing the Hot Chicken wasn’t easy!  Other contenders that I will order during future visits included the Pepper Crusted Beef Brisket served over smashed red potatoes with a side of tomato jam ($15.95), and Shrimp and Grits, creamy smoked Gouda grits, with creole sausage gravy, blackened shrimp and pickled green tomatoes. ($15.50)



One of Laurie’s favorite sandwiches is a nice French Dip.  So when she saw the “Good Ole Boy” ($14.95) on the menu, she didn’t hesitate!  This version of a French Dip sandwich consisted of tender braised brisket, sweet onions with melted white cheddar cheese topped with horseradish cream and accompanied with some terrific au jus.  It was sided with some nice homemade kettle chips.  “Unfortunately” she couldn’t finish the sandwich (There were two wedges!) so I had to “help her out”… We both agreed that it was the best French dip sandwich we’d ever tasted!

There were other sandwiches on the menu that got our attention as well.  I was tempted to order the Grainger County Pressed Chicken ($11.95).  The pressed chicken is grilled and served with pesto, roasted tomatoes, artichoke hearts and goat cheese.  Another option for me would be the Shrimp Po Boy. ($14.50) Blackened shrimp on a bed of romaine lettuce, with fried green tomatoes, house-made pickles and jalapeno aioli come together on a toasted baguette accompanied with the house-made kettle chips.

But neither of those options grabbed Laurie’s attention.  She noticed that Farmacy offers a “Lobster Roll” on Fridays. ($18.00) In this case, chunks of fresh Maine lobster are served on a buttery split top roll with house mayo and lemon.  We’ll definitely have to come back on a Friday.  Happy wife equals a Happy Life!


Sadly, we were too full to order dessert although the dessert options were very tempting.  Laurie loves Vietnamese Coffee and we both love banana pudding, root beer floats and strawberry shortcake.  I’ve never had Coca Cola cake, which is served warm with pecan ganache and local ice cream but I’ll have to give it try!

Normally I’d be done writing at this point but I haven’t mentioned the Farmacy’s collection of tacos…shrimp, pork, veggie, brisket, salmon and chicken.  From their description, they aren’t your average tacos!  Nor have I mentioned brunch at Farmacy.  On Saturdays and Sundays, beginning at 10 AM, they serve brunch.  For me that full page brunch menu is completely ‘drool worthy’!  That will be another blog post for sure…

Farmacy is located at 9430 South Northshore Drive in Knoxville Tennessee.  Phone: 865-247-4678.  Check out their website complete with all the imaginative menu items at https://knoxfarmacy.com/about/.

Just click on any of the photos to enlarge them…

Thanks for stopping by to learn about our new dining ‘discovery’!

Take Care, Big Daddy Dave

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Becky’s Grocery and Grill

Laurie and I passed Becky’s Grocery and Grill just a year or two after we moved to East Tennessee.  We said that we should stop and give that little place a try sometime.  At least 8 years passed…and we still hadn’t dropped by to see what Becky’s was all about.

Becky’s is located in rural Blount County Tennessee, probably 40+ minutes from our home in Loudon County.  Nevertheless, this month I decided that the time had come to drive over to Becky’s for an early dinner.


Becky’s Grocery and Grill is really in the country at a local crossroad, the intersection of Whites Mill Road and Laws Chapel Road.  It isn’t a big place, the sign is simple and there aren’t a bunch of windows to draw you in.  Still, with the dark wood exterior and the red tin roof plus those patriotic banners, the building does have a certain basic country appeal.


Becky’s dining room is just like the exterior of the building… It has that warm local country feel.  It’s the country version of a big city diner.  They have a plethora of old movie CD’s behind the counter at the left, we guessed it’s something to do when the staff isn’t busy.  Note that big arrow up near the ceiling.  It lets you know that you need to go outside to use their restroom… That big table is referred to as the boarding house table.



I took a photo of Laurie at our table in Becky’s dining room.  She got even by taking a close-up of yours truly…way too close!

In ‘our’ first photo, note that there are only 2 shelves at the far left that display grocery items.  The room is full of knick-knacks, bric-a-brac, photos, signs, t-shirts and greeting cards for sale…and let’s not forget the trophy deer and the boar mounted high up on the walls.


This photo of the menu is a little blurry but if you expand it on your screen, it’s easy to read.  For the most part it features burgers, sandwiches, plate lunches, salads, sides and a few other specialties.  Nothing fancy…but check out those prices!

Becky Cable bought this business from her mother in 2000.  Her mom had operated it since 1973, primarily as a country grocery store that offered burgers, hot dogs and fries.  Becky slowly got out of the grocery business, adding tables and chairs.  This is her nineteenth year in business!  The family has to be doing something right!

So how about the food?


Laurie ordered one of her all-time standby favorite sandwiches.  This was her Patty Melt. ($5.49) How was it?  Laurie flat out stated that it was the best patty melt she’d ever had!  The ground beef had a lot of flavor… A flat top grill will do that.  In addition, instead of some stringy grilled onions, these onions were chopped up first, enhancing their flavor.  The other key to this great sandwich was that grilled Jewish rye bread… Winner, winner, great patty melt dinner!!


For my lunch I ordered the 8 oz. monster burger on pumpernickel with Pepper Jack cheese, mayonnaise and tomato.  It was very good indeed.  The pumpernickel bread added a lot of depth to the sandwich.  I did add French fries to my order. ($1.99) Laurie tried them too and we agreed that they were better than average.


…and then there was the dessert menu on the wall!  Coconut pie (one of my favorites), Chocolate pie, the ‘Elvis’ version of peanut butter pie, banana pudding and much more.  All of these dessert are made by Ms. Becky!

We just couldn’t come this far and not partake of this potential cornucopia of goodness…


Laurie opted for the Earthquake Cake with Ice Cream. ($5.98) This was German Chocolate Upside Down Cake with a cream cheese filling and with coconut and pecans on the bottom of the creation.  It was very decadent and it was excellent!


I ordered a dessert I’d never heard of… This was the Sweet Dreams Pie! ($4.29) The pie is made with cream cheese, powdered sugar and condensed milk.  Its frozen and then topped with toasted coconut, pecans and caramel.  I am positive that this concoction is ‘illegal’ anywhere north of the Mason-Dixon Line!  It was killer good!

Did you note what was written in the lower left hand corner of the dessert menu/sign?  Becky’s Health Inspection Score on 5/23/19 was 100%!  Service was down home friendly too.  We will definitely return soon!

Becky’s Grocery and Grill is located at 3856 Laws Chapel Road near Maryville Tennessee.  Becky’s open hours are just as quirky and interesting as is the restaurant itself.  They are closed Sunday through Tuesday.  Wednesday through Friday, they are open from 11 AM until 6:45 PM.  Saturdays they are only open from 11 AM until 2:45 PM.  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Beckys-Grocery-Grill-104999199549341/.

Just click on any of the photos to enlarge them…

Thanks for stopping by to see what we had for our early dinner!

Take Care, Big Daddy Dave

Monday, September 23, 2019

Visual Proof that East Tennessee is Not Landlocked!

Sometimes it’s hard to convince geographically challenged folks that we aren’t landlocked here in East Tennessee.  So I end up explaining to them that via the TVA (Tennessee Valley Authority) and its system of locks and dams, one can actually take a yacht or barge all the way from Chicago, Minneapolis, Pittsburgh, Kansas City, New Orleans and Mobile to Knoxville.  The various routes include the Ohio River, Missouri River, Mississippi River and the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway up through Alabama.

But some people need to see physical proof that one can navigate all the way from the Gulf of Mexico to East Tennessee, plus points farther west and north.  I was happy when I noticed an attraction on line that was moored nearby that could help prove the point!


Our destination was the Fort Loudon Marina on the shores of Fort Loudoun Lake, which is a TVA reservoir on the Tennessee River.  The marina is right above the Fort Loudoun Dam in Lenoir City Tennessee.  Well, those small ‘yachts’ could actually be trailered into the lake so they don’t prove navigation all the way from the Gulf of Mexico. 

Note:

Picky spellers reading this post have already noticed my ‘mistake’.  I spelled Fort “Loudon” Marina one way and the name of the dam and the lake/reservoir another…”Loudoun”.  While it seems like an error, it isn’t really.  Hence, a short history tidbit…

The county where the dam and marina is located was originally named Christiana County, but shortly afterwards it was changed to Loudoun in honor of nearby colonial-era Fort Loudoun.  The Earl of Loudoun had commanded British forces there during the French and Indian Wars.  However, since there already was a Loudoun County in Virginia, postal necessities (confusion) in those early days required a change in the spelling of the Tennessee County’s name as well as that of its County Seat…also Loudon. 


It was a beautiful day as we made our way down to the far end of this large marina.  Just down the way we could see Calhoun’s Restaurant at the Marina…a popular spot for local diners arriving by auto or boat.  See https://calhouns.com/menus-and-locations/lenoir-city/.


And there they were…moored almost at the end of the marina.  It was a blast from the past!  Christopher Columbus’s ships, (actually reproductions), the Nina and the Pinta had sailed into Lenoir City Tennessee! 

We were here to check them out…explore history and get a feel for the size of the ships and the conditions that Columbus and his crews had lived in during his several voyages across the Atlantic Ocean. 

We paid the price of admission under that blue awning at the right of the sign.  It was $7.50 for seniors, $8.50 for adults and $6.50 for children between 5 – 16 years of age.  For groups of 15 or more, the charge is only $5.00 per person.



The first photo is the port side of the Pinta and the more detailed or clearer second photo shows the ship’s starboard side.  The Pinta is a larger version of the typical caravel.  At 85’ long with a beam of 18’, she is 15’ longer and 8’ wider than the original Pinta.  Her mission is to accompany the Nina on her voyages, providing space for dockside charters and events.  Like the Nina, the Pinta was built in Brazil using traditional hand tools and methods.

Caravels were as close to perfect as a sailing ship could be back in the day.  With a Scandinavian style bow and midsection, as well as its combination square and lateen (triangular) rigging, caravels were produced for at least 125 years and it was the best open water sailing vessel of its time.


Hey…It isn’t all just about history!  This is the Loudon County Marine Rescue Unit.  Staffed by volunteers, this vessel is part of the Loudon County Emergency Management team.  Powered by two 225 horsepower engines, this 32’ foot rescue boat is equipped with radar, forward looking infra-red, GPS navigation and a fixed fire pump.  Volunteers include 3 Coast Guard licensed Captains, 2 paramedics, 5 EMT’s, 5 firefighters and 4 public safety divers/swift water rescue personnel.

As you will see, this rescue unit is about half as long as Columbus’s favorite ship…the Nina!


The Pinta and the Nina were already busy at 9:30 AM on the Friday morning we visited.  There were plenty of people, young and old alike, checking out these ships…something like this historical display isn’t exactly run of the mill in East Tennessee.  Helpful crew members were busy with history lessons and information about the ships.

As the saying goes, ‘timing is everything’!  We came early to beat the heat and, as it turned out, also to beat a significant number of local elementary school students who were lined up for their visits as we finished our tour and headed for our car.


Almost all of the provisions on the original Nina, Pinta and Santa Maria were stored in kegs like this one.  Water, vinegar, oil, wine, salt, hardtack, flour, lard, lentils, onions, olives and much more were maintained below deck to sustain the crew.  After leaving Spain, the ships stopped in the Canary Islands, (near the supposed ‘edge of the world’), to stock up on livestock…fresh meat for the crew.

FYI… In Columbus’s day, ships couldn’t change course easily and they couldn’t sail into the wind.  Consequently they had to follow the flow of the prevailing easterly and westerly ‘trade winds’ back and forth across the Atlantic.  If the winds died down, the ships just had to wait for them to freshen again…


This photo is by way of comparison.  I don’t know exactly how long that big houseboat is but I’d have to guess that it’s more than 50 long.  Columbus’s favorite ship, the Nina, was only 65’ long…and she crossed the Atlantic 3 times in each direction!


This is a view of the stern area of the Nina from the deck of the Pinta.  At 65’ long, with a beam of only 18’, she weighs about 75 tons and has a draft of 7’.  The shallow draft allowed for speed and the ability to maneuver in coastal waters.  Like the Pinta, the ‘new’ Nina was built by craftsmen in Valenca Brazil using the old methods of shipbuilding.

The 3 original ships, the Nina, Pinta and Santa Maria were really just common trading vessels.  The Santa Maria ran aground and sank on Christmas Eve in 1492 near Cap Haitien in Hispaniola.  The Pinta returned home from the first voyage and then just disappeared from history. 

But the Nina was altogether a different story!  Not only did she and Columbus complete the first voyage together, she was also his flagship for his second voyage.  She was the only ship out of the fleet of 17 vessels that survived the hurricane of 1495.  After the second voyage she was captured by a pirate in the Mediterranean Sea, then recaptured and returned to Cadiz Spain in time to serve as the advance guard of Columbus’s third voyage.  Finally, in 1501 after a trading voyage to the Pearl Coast off what is now Venezuela, the Nina disappeared from ships logs.  She traveled at least 25,000 miles under the command of Christopher Columbus.


On the Nina’s first voyage under Columbus, this 65’ vessel had a crew of 26.  Stuff it with provisions, extra sails, ropes and the like (plus a few head of sheep, goats or pigs) and this was a ‘cozy’ living environment.  It took them 2 months on the first voyage to get from their last stop in the Canary Islands to landfall in the Bahamas.

Today’s replicas of the Nina and Pinta are equipped with engines that are needed to navigate the inland waters of the USA.  We were told that they do operate under sail in the Great Lakes, the Gulf of Mexico and in the Atlantic Ocean.


This sign is right over the small hatch leading to Columbus’ only private space on the Nina.  It only had about 4’ of headroom, a tiny navigation desk and 2 bunks.  As for ventilation, the small hatch was it!  So much for being ‘Admiral’ of the fleet.  Makes me wonder about all those huge cabins in all the pirate movies I’ve watched over the years…


If you really studied the earlier photo of the Nina’s stern deck, you might have noticed that there wasn’t a helm/wheel to steer the ship.  I was surprised to learn that these ships were actually steered the old fashioned way...with this big rudder or steering oar underneath the upper stern deck.  The captain or helmsman would have been protected from the elements but his visibility was very limited.


Here’s that job opportunity you were looking for!  This is a chance for you to join the crew operating the Nina and Pinta, visit ‘exotic ports’, and you can simultaneously hone your cooking skills.  If the crew doesn’t like your food, you might be forced to walk the plank!

The sailing season is winding down though… From Lenoir City Tennessee, the Nina and the Pinta has moved to Knoxville’s waterfront where they will be open for visitors through September 29.  Then it will be a 4 day tip down the Tennessee River to Chattanooga’s waterfront.  They will stay in Chattanooga for 24 days!  The final port of call will be in Rogersville Alabama from October 30 through November 3.

In total, the ships will have visited 2o ports of call in the USA this year.  They had planned to visit the upper Mississippi River system but the early season flooding forced them to cancel that itinerary.  To learn more about the Nina and the Pinta as well as the Columbus Foundation, just go to the following website: http://thenina.com/.

Just click on any of the photos to enlarge them…

Thanks for stopping by to see what we’ve been up to!

Take Care, Big Daddy Dave

Friday, September 20, 2019

Four Generations plus a Hodgepodge of Miscellany


Regular visitors will note that every so often I just publish a blog about whatever comes to mind based on a photo or two that we’ve taken in our daily lives.  Sometimes I’ve done old postcards or collectibles.  From time to time it’s all about miscellaneous food we’ve made or encountered while dining out.  Then there are the animals in the neighborhood…

This posting is foremost about family…then food…and then critters.

I was looking at photos of our oldest grandson, David III, and comparing them to my father (his great-grandfather) Ronald.  Then I found a photo of David II (David III’s father) and one of me too…

It was an interesting comparison of 4 generations of the male side of the family.  All of the photos were taken around the time when each of us graduated from high school…about 18 years old.

The ‘look’ and styles certainly have changed over the years...except that in the original photos you can see that we were all wearing ties.  My dad Ron is in the upper left hand corner of the photo. (Class of 1929) Next to him at the right is David III. (Class of 2019) Our son, David II is right below my dad. (Class of 1987) The photo at the lower right is of yours truly. (Class of 1961)    


As a brand new freshman living in New York City and now attending New York University, David III has discovered just how expensive most things are in the Big Apple.  It’s a fascinating city with lots to see and do but it is quite pricy…certainly a challenge for many students.

Nana (my better half, ‘grandma’ Laurie) immediately focused on putting together a ‘care package’ for the ‘starving’ student. (Note: He is on a college meal plan!) In any case, this photo shows our initial shipment of food and snacks to his dorm in the big city... He'd stressed microwavable stuff.


Moving on from family…this photo is about leftovers.  We had a leftover helping of chicken cordon bleu from a 4 piece box we bought at Costco.  You can’t see it in this photo but I cut it almost all the way through down the middle and reheated it after placing a slice of pre-packaged ham underneath the chicken.


What did you expect?  Of course my next step was to fry an over-easy egg and drop it right on top. (I added Tabasco later) When I broke up the yolk, all the goodness blended together.  It was a very nice breakfast!


What happened?!  Kirkland (Costco’s) Steak Seasoning is the best we’ve ever used.  Lots of other folks on the Internet seem to agree.  And yet Costco seems to have dropped it from the store shelves and from their on-line store.  If you search hard enough you can find some on the world-wide-web…but some of the prices are just plain off the wall!

So hey Costco!  What’s is going on?


The other day we stopped by “Little Italy”, a local restaurant in Loudon Tennessee near Tellico Village.  We decided to order a light meal so I ordered a side of meatballs with a couple of garlic knots.  We ordered from the lunch menu.  It was the perfect size meal at the time…and I did like these meatballs.


While I ordered the meatballs, Laurie chose the luncheon Chicken Caesar Wrap.  It was loaded with chicken and since I ‘had to’ eat part of one half, we both thought that it was very tasty.

The nice part about the lunch menu at Little Italy is that there are several satisfying selections available for patrons at $5, $6, $7, $8 and $9 price points.  Check it out on Trip Advisor.  Just go to https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g55167-d17378473-Reviews-Little_Italy-Loudon_Tennessee.html.


Despite all the building in our area, (145 homes under construction with several underway within a mile of our home), the deer haven’t completely deserted us!  Here was have a doe and her babies feeding along the edge of the woods right across from our house.


Then Laurie captured a photo of a doe passing between neighbors Mike and Sherry’s home and ours.  Although we still have a 13” rain surplus YTD, the last couple of months have been quite dry…and many of us do irrigate our yards.  Hence, better grazing for our local deer!


A couple of days later, Laurie called me to the front windows of our home.  There were three fawns grazing in the front yard.  They love our plants and, unlike some folks in the area, we don’t mind the deer ‘pruning’ our plantings.  At this point, these two fawns seem to be looking for something…


OK…safe again!  There’s mom!  So the seemingly relieved fawns went back to their contented grazing.  For plant lovers, the good news is that they just grazed, nibbling here and there and not really harming any plants.  They really like the monkey grass.  Besides, the deer were here first and we’re occupying their former home turf!

Just click on any of the photos to enlarge them…

Thanks for stopping by for a visit!

Take Care, Big Daddy Dave