I think my thermometer is frozen.  It doesn't seem to want to move away from -28C.  The sun is shining; making all that new snow sparkle.  It looks a lot warmer than it really is. I got an instant brain freeze when I opened the door to go outside.  

The 'livestock' needed feeding this morning.  I made the rounds filling the sunflower and suet feeders for the birds, the grain tubs for the deer and a cup of cat food for Spike who has taken up residence under my shed.  The deer that visited yesterday cleaned out everything but the cat food and suet.  One in particular loved the peanut butter that I had set out for the chickadees.

Mmmm.  Peanut butter.

Just before sundown on Thursday, two does with fawns showed up in the yard.  The regular visitor did not take kindly to the second one entering her 'space'.  I was witness to a head butting, hoof pounding, rearing up, chasing around the yard brawl.  There was no way that two of them were going to eat peacefully together.  As the mamas fought it out, the fawns were filling up on grain and seeds.  They paid no mind to what their mamas were doing.

As of 2pm today, I've seen only one fawn come to feed.  It happened to be the peanut butter loving one.  The grain tubs and seed feeders were by-passed in lieu of the peanut butter dish. Chickadees tried to come in for a landing to get at it but the deer was not giving it up until it was gone.

I watched as it made its way into the bush behind my yard.  It struggled through the deep snow, stopping now and then to munch on some twigs.  I couldn't see where mama was hiding.

All my backyard friends are providing some great entertainment during this cold snap.  It's too cold to head out to the trails to ski or snowshoe so the wood stove is lit to take off the chill and my chair is pulled up in front of the window to watch the live show in my backyard courtesy of Mother Nature. Gotta love it!