Ninja Deer attacks helpless dog

Sunday, May 30th, 2010

I got up Sunday morning thinking ‘there is no way I’m going to be putting on pants and going to church with this rash’, but it actually didn’t hurt too much, so I went. After all, it’s a great opportunity to check my resting heart rate, which was down to 45 bpm. Actually, I like the service. Our minister is in a wheel chair and I can’t help but think how lucky I am to be able to head to the park, which I can see through the windows, for a run later in the day. God has been very good to me.

Maybe not a run, though. I was starting to think a nice kayak might be better for the rash. No rubbing, no scrubbing. I loaded it on the roof and headed for the East Branch Reservoir, which is the headwater of the Cuyahoga River. I brought my running gear…just in case I got the urge.

I put on some sun block, grabbed the camera, and climbed into the kayak. I paddled out of the cove to the larger reservoir only to find horses splashing through the shallow waters to my right. And there were perfectly good people on them, too. This is a site I’ve never seen. Must have been 10 riders and all were circling into the water and then back up onto the beach. I don’t know if it was to cool the horses or just getting them used to it for reasons I can only imagine. I took some pictures of them and headed north for the wildlife preserve and the eagle’s nest.

It takes about 30 minutes to paddle the length of the reservoir and there is a wildlife reserve at the northern end, which is off limits to boaters. In the middle of the marshy reserve is a pole about 50 feet high upon which is a huge eagle’s nest. Through my telephoto lens, I can see that there are eaglets in the nest, but can’t really get a good shot of them. I’ll sit there and wait in hopes that mom or pop will go for a spin and I can take their picture. Not today, though. They just sat and watched me.

By the time I returned to the take-out, the horses were gone. I’d only kayaked an hour and had decided that a 30-minute run would be a good idea. I put on plenty of vasoline and took off along the shaded trail that borders the reservoir. It really is the perfect place to paddle and run. Interestingly, they now have tent sites and lean-to’s for camping. Very primitive, though the water can be pumped nearby for drinking and cooking, and they provide fire wood.

I returned home to discover that Dakota had had a deer encounter of the strangest kind. She’d noticed a young deer and momma wandering in our neighbor’s yard and gone to say hello and see if they wanted to play. They didn’t and mom was not too happy with her even asking. Apparently, she chased Dakota, who, not really know what to do, kind of got caught under the deer. Jason was on the back patio watching the whole thing and thinks the deer may have stepped on Dakota. Dakota knew to head for home and protection, but the deer was unimpressed by Jason’s presence and followed Dakota on to the patio. Jason decided the shovel nearby may be necessary to discourage mom from extracting any more retribution. Apparently, this was enough for her to decide on a retreat.

She was still hanging around when I returned, but wasn’t too keen on hanging when I approached with my camera and a determination to let her know the alpha was home. I know my neighbors are feeding the babies and maybe that’s why they’re so tame, but I don’t think Dakota has quite figured it out. Really added to her excitement and workout, though.

Kayak duration: 60 minutes. Run duration: 30 minutes.

Training Heart Rate: 100 kayaking. 140 running.

Calories burned during workout: 500 kayaking. 475 running.