We Have a Visitor

Yesterday morning Ptichka asked me via e-mail if I had checked on the garden before leaving for school. I had given it a cursory glance: the tomatoes are now as big as out neighbor's tomatoes, there are peas to be picked, the fennel is getting fat and our neighbor's stupid cat (as opposed to the smarter one whom we feed) is still digging in the bok choy (brat!), although out neighbor swears that she isn't doing it. Right, loser. Before giving the garden a cursory glance, I had noticed a new form of wildlife in our yard. As I opened the door, something brown and furry with a long tail streaked down the driveway and under a car. I thought nothing of it. Ptichka responded to my report that the garden looked fine when I had left with the information that something had bitten off the tops of our edamame plants. Neatly bitten. Like a rabbit. She did some googling to see if edamame were seen as especially yummy treats for certain pets. No dice.

We walked home together and went straight into the backyard to check on the garden. More of the edamame had been eaten and some carrot tops were missing. Our neighbor of the pooping-in-the-bok-choy cat ownership came out to tell us what was eating our edamame. We have a groundhog. We call him "The Prick" because he is one. He has kept what little of the back lawn remains neatly trimmed but now that he's started on the crops, it is time for him to go. And The Prick's fearless too. As we barbequed last night, he kept creeping over to the garden. The cats? They watch him. Useless beasts.

Ptichka is calling Animal Control today to find out about a humane trap for him. Hijinx should ensue.