Friday morning I see 4 turkey vultures preening in the sun on the fence posts surrounding my pool. Upon closer investigation, I realize that there are a lot of vultures perched in the trees along the creek bank. I glance down the ravine and I see her. In the middle of the creek bed is a dead deer.
Great, now what am I supposed to do? I have a full weekend of B&B guests and poolside wine tastings. I can only imagine what it is going to smell like in about 24 hours....not to mention the ugly bird display....and their droppings. Dave is not home until late and so he's not much help. I am a city girl. I don't know what to do about large dead animals. So I call Eldon.
Eldon Bergman is my neighbor and I have never met anyone quite like Eldon. He is well into his 70's and has been a tracker all his life. He has tracked everything from mountain lions to wild pigs to turkeys from Alaska to Mexico. Boy, does this fellow have stories! His Mennonite ancestors have lived here for over 150 years and he knows a lot about a lot of things country.
I called him hoping to learn what county agency one calls in situations like this. I did reach some unnamed county employee who said if I am not in the city it is my responsibility to bury it away from a water source. I am really perplexed how to retrieve a dead deer from a STEEP ravine and figure out how to dig a hole large enough if I am successful at pulling this poor dead doe from Jack Creek.
Just as I was preparing for a wine tasting for two guests from the nicest boutique hotel in town, Eldon drives his beloved pickup truck down the drive. When I point out the problem, Eldon ponders a bit and then asks if I have some rope. He explains his idea. He will change into his rubber boots which he conveniently has stored in the bed of his truck, tie the rope around the deer's neck, pull her by hand up the STEEP bank and then tie her to the bumper of said truck. He then will relocate the carcass up the road a piece somewhere where the vultures can enjoy their feast without disturbing anyone but the maybe the coyotes who might want their piece of the action.
Again keep in mind, dear amiable Eldon is well in his 70's, has been telling me how sore he is from the previous day's turkey guiding and is absolutely insisting on helping this poor naive city girl. I tell him Dave will be home and could do it tomorrow but there was absolutely no stopping him because this is what neighbor's do in these parts.
No sooner did I retrieve the rope than my wine tasters arrive so Eldon was off dragging the deer up the bank. Faster than I could pour through our 5 wines, dear old Eldon tooted his horn and was off dragging the doe down the road. He came back a short while later with his "official" explanation based on examining the body.
He surmises that the doe was attacked by a mountain lion based on the puncture marks on her head and neck. He thinks the injured doe leaped down the ravine, broke her neck and tumbled into the water. There was evidence of the cat near the bank but there was too much water in the creek to claim his prize. I don't really like the idea of mountain lions this close to the house but Eldon claims they are all over the country side.
How does one thank someone who goes above and beyond reason just because it's neighborly? If he drank I would have given him a case of wine, but he doesn't. So instead, I baked a pie and took it over to his place today with an inscription reading "the world's best neighbor." He had the expected "aw shucks, it was nothing" attitude but it really was an act of kindness and generousity that is impossible to repay.
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