Flossie's little house in the big back yard

Hi neighbors. If you recall from last week, Flossie had determined she needed a storage shed. In the process of searching for the perfect storage shed she fell in love with the little sheds that look like houses.

She bought one with a front porch and three windows and a single door. Her first decision was to put the little house on a small lot she had by a local lake. That didn't work out for several reasons.

Having to buy a second shed, a.k.a. Little House; she opted for one just like the first. This time though, she decided to put it in her backyard so she could avoid all the problems of getting the house and herself to the lake.

Let me tell you about Flossie's place. She has a nice home with a large front yard on a rural road. Her front yard is always manicured to perfection with a huge flower and vegetable garden contained in an enormous tractor tire. Viewing the house from the road you would think it should be in a magazine.

The backyard opens directly onto Flossie's 80 acres of trees, prairie grass and unofficial animal sanctuary.

Directly behind the house a hill rises slightly. This hill has a few trees and a wide meadow that holds Flossie's beehives, wide creek and fruit trees. Over the hill there is a small bit of meadow and the forest begins immediately behind bushes of every berry native to Missouri! The trees are topped by wild grape vines. All in all, it looks like Missouri did after the first settlers moved in; or at least within five years of settlement. It is truly beautiful in its native wildness.

On the far side, near the top of the hill, Flossie placed her Little House. She had been working on it for a few weeks and wanted me to come inspect her work.

A path of flagstones led from her back patio out into the grass, up the hill and over. Going down this path was rather like hiking into the wilderness, except for the presence of solar powered lights lining the walkway. Just before the hilltop I could see the pole of a farmyard light and a flagpole bearing Old Glory.

We paused just before the cabin came into view. Flossie took my hand, "Prepare to be wowed!" she whispered.

She pulled me over the hill and the shed came in sight. I was wowed! She had put flower boxes in each window, added a chimney and surrounded the little house with flowers. The flagstone path widened in front of the house to form a patio. On the tiny front porch she had a small porch swing.

The patio had lawn chairs and a fire pit complete with a grill.

I couldn't wait to enter the little house! The front door was ajar. Flossie pushed it open all the way with a great flourish. I started around her to catch the first view only to be almost trampled by a full-grown buck!

Flossie screamed and I noticed the buck had a little blur of yellow and white on the top of his head -- Tink! The buck easily jumped the porch railing, continued into the patio where he commenced to act just like a wild horse at the rodeos! His head lowered and his hind legs flew up into the air and then he reared up and his front legs thrashed the air.

Flossie entered her little house and came back out with a broom and a fish net. "Don't worry, Tink! I'll save you!"

Tink didn't look so much afraid as determined to maintain her four-paw clench of the buck's head.

I don't know what that deer was thinking, but he got his mind changed with the first whack from Flossie's broom on his rump.

He reared up and did his boxing imitation; Flossie screamed out a challenge, Tink hissed and wailed and I fainted.

When I woke up, the deer was gone. Flossie was peeling Tink out of the fishing net where she had caught her when the buck finally flipped her off of his head.

"I think I need a screen door," Flossie said philosophically. She went to her beautiful fireplace and poured coffee from the pot sitting near the small fire. She handed me a cup.

"Here, this will steady your nerves. Ya know, I don't think you'd be fit for pioneer life. Can't be fainting every time a deer comes into the house."

"I think you're right, Flossie!"