Her face was almost pressed against the glass of our front window pane. We didn't know she was standing there until Ann opened the blinds late in the afternoon. Ann called for me to see.
She was eating on a large plant by the door. I gently tapped on the window. She cast me a doleful glance but continued to feast on the leaves. It was only when I opened the door that the young doe trotted away from the window. She didn't go far. Her hunger was evident as she showed ribs and flanks with little or no fat on them. Drought is stressing the animals. Their normal food supplies have diminished or disappeared. Birds seek out water to drink and bathe in. Seeds left for them are quickly eaten. Young hatchlings are everywhere trying to survive.
In the fields nearby there is little activity. Grain and cotton which would usually be getting harvested is almost non-existent. What cattle there are seek tiny tidbits among the dead weeds and grasses, dried to a crunchy brown. Unless rain comes soon the record loss in Texas for crops and livestock of 2006 will be surpassed. An estimate is 3.6 billion dollars in losses. Add to this the hundreds and even thousands of people who rely on the harvesting and animal raising for their income, this drought is devastating for Texas. There are future losses not even figured in involving selling calves. Texas is the second largest agricultural state. California is first. Not everyone is having a problem. It is the old story of one area enjoying prosperity while another area hurts. It is a rather harsh and cruel business. Texas has enjoyed years of prosperity. We learned to simply shake our heads at others misfortune from floods and freezes and say, "Well, that's farming. That's ranching.". And it is. We must do what we can to help ourselves. Times are hard for the South Texas rancher and farmer. Rain would help.