New Kid on the Block: Meet the Whistle Pig!

Well, it turns out that we have a new creature living in our yard. I'm not sure where it came from, but a couple of weeks ago, my husband started talking about noticing an unpleasant smell under the front porch. On this evening, we discovered who it was: a groundhog, aka, "whistle pig."

My husband had put a little tray of carrot slices out for the rabbit, but when he looked out, the groundhog was standing by the tray. Nothing had been touched, but we do get the suspicious feeling that some of the snacks my husband has been putting out for our bunnies have been feeding an unexpected guest.

The groundhog, when startled, ran right into a hole under the front porch. The chipmunks used to live there, but now we see why they left: they were evicted by the groundhog!

"Anybody who wants him can come and get him!" my husband says. And NO, he is not interested in helping me name the critter, though I think it is adorable as can be. My husband absolutely does not agree. (Names for this creature are currently being entertained; please leave any suggestions in the comments!)

Certainly, the truth of the matter is this: we wish this creature no harm, but it cannot stay under the front porch. So in the next few days, I will be coming up with an exclusion strategy, waiting till the groundhog is in the yard, and then placing rocks and gravel so as to fill in that hole.

There was one more wildlife discovery in the yard on this evening, and I can barely speak, I'm so EXCITED!! For when I went out to put the hummingbird feeder up on the deck for the night (because, you know: bears!), I saw what looked like a little pile of brown leaves on the path into Gremlin's Meadow.

Upon drawing closer, I discovered that it was NOT leaves, but a PILE OF BUNNIES!!!! Little, tiny, baby bunnies, maybe about five of them, with white spots on their foreheads. Two of them took off like little rockets, but the other three remained, lying on the ground, gazing up at me so adorably.

My heart just about exploded in my chest from the cuteness, for I'm not sure I've ever seen ANYthing as adorable as this in our yard, in the whole time we've lived here (which is about 16 years). I walked around all night with a sappy smile on my face. Those bunnies, oh my goodness, THE BUNNIES!!!!

Of course, it was dusk, so I probably couldn't have gotten any decent shots anyway. But by the time I ran to get my camera, the bunnies were gone. Disappeared. Just like they never existed! But I will keep watch, and if I see them again, perhaps I'll have my camera next time, and then YOU will get to see them too!

My soundtrack song is by the New Kids on the Block. You never know what tonight might bring on this wild acre. So my song is the Kids with Tonight.