Our Daily Bread

Aug 12 2025

It’s become clear: the deer have called in reinforcements. Possibly hired mercenaries—local, well-fed, and disturbingly motivated.

I’ve read enough Tom Clancy in my youth and seen enough war movies to recognize what’s happening here. Our defenses are being probed. Tested. Breached. This isn’t random wildlife mischief—this is tactical.

But here’s the twist: I suspect the mercs have gone rogue. Their employers may be blissfully unaware that their operatives have a hidden agenda. Yes, the main garden fence shows signs of tampering—but the gate remains untouched, and the breach isn’t nearly large enough for a deer to squeeze through. Suspicious? Extremely.

Evidence suggests the recon team got distracted after breaching the perimeter. They discovered the secure bucket where we store overflow chicken feed. It had been knocked over, contents spilled like a busted supply drop. Nearby, a second bucket of spent shavings had been pried open, its contents rifled through. Perhaps they were searching for contraband? Even more unsettling—the lid was casually replaced. Sloppy, or deliberate misdirection?

Inside the chicken coop play yard, our night-vision cameras were mysteriously silent. Either the intruders deployed signal jammers… or they hacked in and disabled the motion sensors. Our tech team assures me all systems were fully functional following recent network and OS upgrades. Still, I remain… skeptical.

Then there’s the run between the coop and the play yard—where the fencing looked like it had been mangled by a small bear. If the cameras had been working, we’d have footage. But alas, no such luck.

I’ve since repaired the fences, righted the buckets, and reestablished our surveillance systems. I’m considering installing another camera for better FOV coverage, because clearly, the deer are escalating. That’ll go on the ever-growing list of garden chores for today.

Oh—and I’ve added some noise deterrents to the area. Motion-activated sonic devices designed to startle would-be saboteurs. Whether they’ll deter further late-night shenanigans… only time will tell.