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It’s hard to get an accurate baby woodchuck count as they’re rarely all together.
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Four.
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Five.
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6.
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If you look closely there are actually 7. We’ve never had that many babies at one time …. and now I know why momma chuck always looks so annoyed.
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Babies are cute…
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But can also be a nuisance when you’re trying to eat dinner.
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The little guys are on the move.
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And damn it, they’re adorable.
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One little fellow loves the wagon wheels and uses them like a jungle gym.
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Momma isn’t a doting parent and I’ve actually watched her steal apple slices from junior.
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I know people dislike them and yes, they can be destructive… but thankfully they’ve never wreaked havoc here other than a few holes.
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Maybe they’re being nice and paying us back for the daily treats.
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Two baby woodchucks showed up for apples yesterday. ( we put them out for the deer but these little guys are beating them to it )
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The chuck on the right seemed to be annoying his brother with his close proximity.
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Before long they were squabbling.
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And a sibling scuffle ensued.
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Left woodchuck held his ground, as well as his apple.
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And right woodchuck was forced to step aside.
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Family.
What are ya gonna do?
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The little guys (girls?) are branching out and feeling more comfortable in the backyard.
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We often see 3 but rarely all 4.
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Momma wanders off now and then but usually shows up at apple time.
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Not that she shares mind you.
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As much as I despise them for eating my flowers, it’s hard to stay mad when you see the little ones scampering around.
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Baby woodchucks are on the move.
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I spotted three.
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Make that four.
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And they’re cute as a button.
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I’m not sure if they’re actually living under the barn this year, or momma just brings them in for a nosh now and then.
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But I enjoy watching the little devils munch either way.
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Last weekend I was reading on the barn porch, enjoying the view of the neighbor’s farm…
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And of our other neighbor walking by….
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When suddenly my view changed.
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Because the husband decided it was time ( after I bugged him for 7… Yes, 7 years. ) to put up a gutter.
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I’ll spare you the four hour nightmare of angles, cutting, bracketing, ladder placement and yes a good bit of cursing as well…
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And get right to the cute stuff.
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A baby woodchuck.
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Make that two baby woodchucks. It’s summer and the little scampers are peaking out from under the barn. Totally adorable. And much more fun to watch than this…
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Especially since the gutter leaked like Hell the first time it rained.
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Because my blog is nothing if not educational.
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I shall never look at Peter Rabbit the same way again.
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Nope.
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I know you tried that, because I did as well. But the fact that it’s called a weenus? That’s the real headline.
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This is extremely good news… and may be cause for celebration. Cheers!
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Not being a mother, I admit this next one freaked me out a little.
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What! I’m getting tiny Sam Elliot and Wilford Brimley visuals here…
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May I just say… eww. Is the womb so cold a place every fetus has to don a fur coat they later consume? This falls under the category ‘I actually wish I didn’t know that.’
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I have never been to Disneyland. Point of fact? I never want to go to Disneyland. Alive… or dead. Though I’m sure it would probably be less annoying if I could haunt that obnoxious mouse ear wearing family from DuBuque.
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It was bound to happen. You can’t evict multiple families of vermin over the course of a summer and not expect retribution.
The other day? I spotted this:
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Do you see it?
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It didn’t look impressive, just a weed growing in the gutter. But when I asked the husband to grab a ladder and remove it?
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We realized it was more like a potted plant.
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With a large amount of potting soil.
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Half of the down spout was packed with dirt and had to be removed.
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Shaken heartily.
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And unclogged with a screwdriver.
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Piles of lovely dark potting soil were packed in there for what I can only surmise were nefarious purposes.
It was momma red squirrel, I know it.
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That bitch has been plotting her revenge ever since I chased her children out of the eaves. And if you think a rodent revolution is ridiculous?
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History disagrees.
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The late season Bambi is back and not looking quite so evil this time.
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Eat up little one, winter is coming and you’ve got a lot of pounds to pack on before the white stuff falls.
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The big buck was here as well.
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As was his son from last year whose felt is starting to shed.
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Hard to believe we still have a spotted fawn this late in the year. Makes me worry.
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Fall is here and with such a terribly dry summer the pickings aren’t good.
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The rut will be here shortly.
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And this guy will be very busy.
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No, it’s not me eating a meatless meat patty or getting down with the free Billy Ocean album the husband’s playing to torment me in his barn, man cave large building filled with crap.
It’s this:
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Eight baby turkeys on the run, headed straight for our bird feeders.
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Momma brought them up for a nosh for the very first time since we’ve lived here.
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And that, my friends…. deserves a blog.
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The little guys were so sweet.
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Scratching the ground and pecking for seed.
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They stayed close to mom.
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And braved the great wide open for a snack.
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When mom looked wary?
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Babies did as well.
And a few seconds after this riveting video that will cause my new found legion of YouTube fans to flee….
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Momma got spooked and gathered her chicks.
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Funny thing was, all the babies ran one way and she ran the other.
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The chicks gathered.
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Huddled, and plopped right down to wait.
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When the coast was clear, momma called.
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They ran back.
And before I could focus?
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Everyone went flying for the woods.
River's world..... 