This past week, we glanced out into our back yard and realized a young deer was sitting in the middle of the yard munching on something. Since deer can be, and have been, rather destructive to plantings in our yard, we knocked loudly on the window in hopes of scaring the deer off. But it simply turned its head toward the house and looked at us as if to say "What is your problem?" We then opened the window and yelled at the deer who, in spite of our best efforts, was not in anyway deterred from its backyard lounging. Then, since we thought the animal might be injured or something, we went out into the yard to investigate.

What we discovered was an uninjured animal that apparently has no fear of humans. It didn't move until we were practically upon it. And then it only moved to beyond a bush where it continued to gaze at us as if we were nuts. We finally managed to shoo it away, but not before, we suspect, it did some serious damage to some young Rose of Sharon bushes we are trying to grow. We can't help but wonder, since there are deer which seem to call our block home, if this particular young deer was born in the neighborhood and thus thinks humans are just something with which to deal.

Has anyone else encountered this deer? Or one like it?

We note that the Women's Club of Cooperstown will hold its annual fall Card and Game Party on Wednesday, Sept. 27 at 2 p.m. in the Christ Church Parish House, 69 Fair St., Cooperstown. In addition to cards, games such as Scrabble and dominos will be played. The party will also feature a paper bag auction. Proceeds from the event will benefit the philanthropic work of the club including the Helen Hale Scholarship program. Tickets may be purchased at the door or in advance by calling Mary Kuhn at 547-6181 or Hanna Rauscher at 547-1014.

Not long ago we had two budding football players arrive at our door asking for donations to support the Cooperstown Youth Football program. Since we were at the time fairly glued to the University of Michigan football game, we were only too happy to make a donation. After we carefully placed our contribution in the appropriate football helmet and duly received our Cooperstown Youth Football sticker, the mom who was accompanying the young players told us that we definitely won the prize for best doorbell in the area. We thanked her, not bothering to mention that our current doorbell, which features the Westminster chimes, is actually rather tame when compared with some of our other choices which include old favorites such as "Alouette," "Anniversary Waltz, "Battle Hymn of the Republic," "Dixie," "Greensleeves," "I've Been Working on the Railroad," "Rule Britannia," "The Stars and Stripes Forever" and "Yankee Doodle."

We are also prepared for holidays with "Auld Lang Syne," "Happy Birthday" and various Christmas carols including "Joy to the World," "Jingle Bells" and "Oh, Tannenbaum." And, since we are in Cooperstown, we can also program the doorbell to play "Take Me Out to the Ballgame." We would like very much to say that this particular doorbell came with the house, but, alas, we purchased it ourselves and in 25 years of service, it has yet to break down.

Earlier this summer, former Cooperstonian Doug Preston came across an article in a local paper which talked about Mr. and Mrs. August A. Busch, Jr. and their children traveling to Cooperstown in their private railroad car in the summer of 1956. Doug remembers the railroad car arriving in Cooperstown. In an e-mail to us about this railroad car, he wrote: "I was 8 going on 9 at the time and recall a fluted stainless steel car with an open rear platform, decorated on the sides with red St. Louis Cardinals (of which "Gussie" Busch was the owner) emblems. The car was parked just east of the freight house near Main Street and many local people went up to look at it on a nice summer evening."

Lucius Beebe's book "Mansions on Rails" mentions a private car "Adolphus" built for the family in 1901, but I don't think this was the same car, even heavily rebuilt ... Somewhere along the line, I got the idea that this stainless private car later became Amtrak business car 10000, which I see is no longer on an Amtrak roster that I found on the Internet ... in the course of my research, I ran across a quotation from Mrs. August Belmont, whose car (or whose husband's car) I believe is the one at the Adirondack Museum.

She is quoted as saying, "A private railroad car is not an acquired taste. One takes to it immediately." Truer words were never spoken!

We thank Doug for sharing his thoughts about the railroad car and wonder if anyone else remembers seeing it? Please let us know.

In closing, a week or so ago, we got an e-mail from the wee-we who gleefully told us that gas in his neck of Ohio was selling for $2.179 a gallon. Gas here was, at that time, still in the $2.899 to $2.939 a gallon range. And while we are happy that gas is seemingly much cheaper in Ohio than it is here, there are times when we really wish the wee-we would keep some things to himself. In our estimation this would include not only the price of gas in Ohio but also the amount of measurable snowfall his part of Ohio receives each winter.

We remain,

In these Otsego hills,

The Ellsworths

The Ellsworths may be reached by mail at 105 Pioneer Street, Cooperstown, N.Y. 13326, by telephone at 607-547-8124 or by e-mail at cellsworth1@stny.rr.com. They look forward to hearing from you.