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It’s official… Momma Chuck is back, fresh out of hibernation and voraciously hungry.
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It seems she had no trouble remembering where the salad bar was located.
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And if you’re wondering how I know this is Momma Chuck and not one of the four babies she had under the barn last year…
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I’d say it’s the decided lack of that 18 hour bra I recommended last season.
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🤣
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Big momma woodchuck is out of hibernation and stuffing her face at a rapid pace.
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I’d thrown out bread for the birds earlier that morning but when I saw her arrive and start munching, I quickly gave her lettuce instead.
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You know, the head of iceberg lettuce my husband brought home from the store after I specifically wrote “green leaf, red leaf, Boston or romaine…. anything but iceberg!” on the grocery list.
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Even as hungry as momma chuck was….
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She left most of the tasteless crunchy white parts.
🤣
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We haven’t seen a woodchuck for weeks now.
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And while my flower gardens are sighing in relief…
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I have to admit I miss the fat little buggers.
( note – spellcheck always changes buggers to nuggets… and is that really better? )
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It’s ironic that now the ground is littered with apples from our trees, the apple munchers have left the building.
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This is the fourth year in a row we’ve had a woodchuck family move in.
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So I guess we’ll say so long chuckers.
( which spellcheck changes to chiclets every damn time )
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See you next year.
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The woodchucks have left the building.
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After momma chuck and her spring brood of voracious garden nibblers cut a swath of destruction through my flower gardens this spring….
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And fattened up quickly at our all you can eat buffet this summer….
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They have now moved on to where ever the hell it is woodchucks go in the fall.
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And all I’m left with is empty flower pots and leftover photos to sort through.
😊
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People think I’m crazy for the daily and nightly buffet I lay out for our wild visitors…. but ya know what?
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I’ve totally been phoning it in.
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If you can access the Dodo from your phone, check out the video. It’s a riot.
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I can’t say this with any certainly, but I’m guessing the demise of our cedar tree was woodchuck related.
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It stood in that corner for almost 20years with no issue and then, wham! It was dead. Upon removal we found this…
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A hole, next to the trunk. And on further examination…
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A hump of dirt with a strategically placed pile of poo. On the other side of the hump?
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Another hole, which meant woodchuck tunnel. I figured they must have destroyed the roots of the tree with their digging, but in actuality the tunnel goes under these other bushes that weren’t affected at all.
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So it’s a mystery, but either way? I’m left with an empty space and a stump.
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Because while my husband loves to cut things down with his chainsaw? He could care less about the mess he leaves behind.
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And it’s clear from the hundreds of dollars I’ve spent on deterrents… I can’t.
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Yeah, I gave you a chance…. and they ate right through you.
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You might as well join them.
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Or rather feed them your fruit and salad scraps in the hopes they’ll leave your flowers alone.
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Watermelon was a huge hit. They positively inhaled that.
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But honestly, would it kill them to wipe off the scowl off their faces and maybe shoot me a grin now and then? I think it’s the least they could do.
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Inter species meetings happen quite often in our backyard.
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Sometimes these end peacefully.
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Other times not.
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The not requires turning on three Scentsy burners and multiple fans.
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This was definitely a not.
🤢
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This isn’t the greatest picture…
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But it’s literally the only one I’ve been able to get of momma and all four of her offspring. (Plus a grey squirrel interloper.)
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And here are the quads…
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Jostling for prime apple position.
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They’re comical to watch.
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And squabble like any other bunch of siblings.
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Have you ever had an oh shit moment?
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The look on this woodchuck’s face says he’s about to have one.
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