Pest In My Garden
62
Coming home one day after work,
I looked out my back patio door.
Much to my surprise,
I saw a cat hunched over my flower boxes,
eating my newly planted marigolds.
How dare you, I said out loud.
I quickly opened the door,
and tried to shoo the cat away.
I’d worked so hard making my yard look pretty.
This big brown cat with his back towards me
paid no heed to my words get out of here.
I clapped my hands so loudly that I finally startled him.
He started to move away.
Watching him waddle very slowly,
I thought, oh my what a huge butt you have.
Off he ventured farther into my back yard.
Just before he was about to go behind the garden shed,
he turned his head and looked at me.
Probably thinking, you've just ruined my dinner.
I realized then that this was not a cat at all.
This was a groundhog starring back at me.
It was not the last I’d see of him,
as he retuned a few days later.
This time feasting on tulips in my side yard.
They must not have agreed with him,
as all the tops were left beside the stems.
Shortly after we added a dog to our family,
and have not seen Mr. Groundhog since.
Groundhog Day Soon Approaches
- 10 Ways to Celebrate Groundhog Day with Activities, Movies and Food
Groundhog day takes place on February 2nd. Here are 10 fun ways to celebrate Groundhog Day. There's a fun activity for everyone, from the naturalist to the movie buff to the gourmet cook. Check out this article for ideas, recipes and Groundhog Day tr
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so you like looking at ground hog butts LOL kidding they can be very dangerous I hear too,, we have them in our yard and they make a mess of our small trees bought that low pitch siren gadget I saw advertised on tv so far its not working..but we'll see it's early :) Frank
Oh no...I have marigolds in the garden ...and a groundhog too...a really big one I caught on camera one morning as it waddled around checking the groceries...ha,ha.
I've seen groundhogs before, so I can sympathize.
They are pests but they are SO cute! I LOL when you wrote about his big butt and when the cat turned into a big fat ground hog! I did love the video - I'd forgotten how big they can be. I used to have a raccoon that stood on top of my garbage can so he could look at me through my window when I washed dishes and things. He was so funny - he would not open the can if I left him a dinner on a plate - I fi forgot - he helped himself to my trash! Right after I thought I had Mr. coon all figured out - he went and had babies:) lol. So I guess it was a her - she would also bring her babies and lay them out on my lawn - I think she was showing them off!
Up and very awesome!
We don't have groundhogs over here...thank goodness! Nice poem, good hub!
You may get another visit from Mr. or Ms. Groundhog, Susan, on Feb. 2nd when it pops out of its burrow to predict whether we're in for more winter weather.
The little critter in the video has a lot of personality - I can see it starring in a TV sitcom. Remember Mr. Ed (the talking horse) on television years and years ago? Naw, you're too young.
I can see why they are called groundhogs lol. It just sat there looking at all the wildlife around it. Very cool character indeed. Voted up funny and interesting and SHARING
Audrey, Have you never seen the movie Groundhog Day? It stars Bill Murray.
Frank, I didn't have my glasses on when I was looking at it and I really thought it was a cat. Please let me know if the low pitch siren gadget works for you.
Scribenet, I wish I would have grabbed my camera to get a shot of the one I had. I wondered if he lived close by.
Flora, They are kinda cute.
You have to really careful with raccoon's. I knew someone that had a restaurant and they used to feed a whole family of raccoon's. One day they came outside without any food for the raccoon's and the little devils tried to attack them. We had one that lived in the nook of one of our trees for a few years. He was a noisy little critter.
Jools, Thanks for reading and glad you liked it.
Very interesting..
Reciting it will be so much fun...
I enjoyed reading this poem..
drbj, I saw a couple of hubs today about Groundhog Day and this is what prompted me to write this hub.
Oh and no I'm old enough to remember Mr. Ed. A horse is a horse of course of course and no one can talk to a horse of course. That is of course, unless the horse is the famous Mr. Ed. I loved that show :)
molometer, So glad you liked it and thanks.
Capedium, Thanks.
oh my! All that hard work to garden and then CHOMP! How dare he!
I'm glad you found a four legged solution. :)
Cute story!
I loved this story! I am still laughing. I can't count how many times I have mistaken an animal as a cat. Thanks for sharing!
Morning Susan.
Never seen a groundhog. I don't think we have them in Europe at least not with this name.
Liked the video, he seems a nosey little fellow.
How's the leg??
Take care.
LOL Ghaelach
missolive, I haven't seen Mr. Groundhog since I got my first Newfoundland dog. I think the dog intimidates them a bit.
tlpogue, We have a skunk that hangs around too. My husband was sitting outside in a lawn chair enjoying a beer after work and saw the skunk. He was calling it...Here Kitty Kitty :) Glad I'm not the only one.
Leave it Just Ask Susan to come up with a pretty piece of prose from an ordinary event. I enjoyed this!
Ghaelach, Groundhogs are rodents and pretty much just in North America as far as I know.
Leg and ankle are still swollen and now I am waiting to see a surgeon in March.
How are you doing, any better?
I love your poem and the video as well. Thank you very much for share with us. Rated up!
Prasetio
Hello Again.
The only thing that I have found over here in Germany is the "Bisam Ratte" in English is called the "Musk Rat" this is a water rat just a bit bigger and fatter than a Jack Russel terrier. Nothing like your normal rat and these only eat vegetation along the river banks.
As for my ankle I'm ready for the warm weather and up to date we've had a mild winter. I need to get back over to our caravan and sit outside under the pavillion and enjoy the fresh air.
Take care Susan and enjoy your Sunday.
LOL Ghaelach
Funny story, and great video. The riverbank near here is home to a groundhog that ventures across the street every now and then to eat my flowers and plants. If I could I'd train him to eat the weeds.
I have never seen a groundhog...lol but I wonder where the resemblance is to the cat....lol, yes Susan I am making fun of you thinking a groundhog is a cat...lol
Having seen many many groundhogs .. the resemblance is purely a matter of perspective, usually the confusion occurs when seen from the backside. After that, cats (outside cats anyway) tend to be hunters, and only chew on plants when attempting to deal with having cleaned themselves too much. I've never heard of goundhogs eating anything other than veggies or grass of some sort. Here, when I see small-size furries chewing on plants, my first guess is rabbit or groundhog. If they are by the water, it depends on posture, with the poised to strike posture indicating a cat or small dog, and the sipping at the water posture being pretty much anything.
LOL! What a great hub and I know they must be a real nuisance, especially after getting your garden looking so nice, but god, the are cute as buttons!!! Really loved this hub and the video - really cheered me up! Voted up + awesome!
Loved this. I had a groundhog in my back yard. He had a burrow right under my garage and I tried everything to block it and get rid of it. Finally, I had a male houseguest who brought his Jack Rusell Terrier with him. We let the dog loose and she went nuts burrowing into the groundhg den-- we had to haul her out and she was totally ticked off about it. She didn't get the groundhog, but she must have scared him good. For good measure my houseguest went out after dark and urinated into the burrow and I never saw that groundhog again. Loved your story and the video-- voting up.
Oh, I enjoyed the video. I was sure the Groundhog was going to get the worm..LOL ..Cute story Susan..Thank you..
Rebecca, Thank you, glad that you enjoyed it.
Prasetio, So glad you liked it. Thank you.
FitnezzJim, Wouldn't that be great, I'd want a whole family of them if they would weed for me :)
From the back view of him, he looked like a cat. I am assuming that the groundhog was a male :)
I LOVE the video! It's one of the nicest I've seen on groundhogs and is a perfect enhancement to your very cute hub.
Thanks for the link; I will add a link to this hub in my Celebrate Groundhog Day hub.
Wonderfully entertaining. Read the poem, played the vid, then went back and re-read the poem with the fiddle goi'n. Someone once said smiles grow, well all I can say is you are a fine gardener , , ,
Seeker, Glad you liked this and thanks so much.
robie, Dogs seem to do the trick and I'm sure your house guest sealed the deal :) Thanks for sharing how you got rid of the groundhog in your yard.
Ruby, Thanks and glad you enjoyed the video.
Hi Susan, fortunately we don't get them in the UK, they must be a nightmare in the garden! I loved the poem and video and voted up, thank you, best wishes Lesley
Stephanie, I was inspired to write this hub after reading your Groundhog Day hub. Thank you.
tsmog, Thank you so much :)
MM, I am glad they are intimidated by my dogs and now stay away from my flowers. Thanks.
How gorgeous! (not really for your garden). In Australia we have possums. While they are very cute - they tend to eat gardens too - especially fruit on trees. And they leave lots of mess and get into people's rooves. My dogs bark at them but alas - unlike the ground-hog, they can run up trees and don't get scared of dogs at all! Many are bigger than cats so I'm not sure cats scare them much either!
Rufus, I suppose all the little critters have to eat something. I wish they would stay out somewhere in the wild and away from gardens and peoples trees. Thanks for reading and for your comments.
Groundhogs (woodchucks) are a major pest in the midwest, so when one started raiding my grandmother's garden in Iowa, I was assigned the taks of mighty hunter. It took a week, but I finally got him with my .22.
It was my grandmother's rule that if something we killed was edible, then eat it we must. I'm here to tell you that groundhog does not taste like chicken.
At all.
Bill, Not too sure I'd want to try groundhog. Did she make a stew out of it?
No, she roasted it! It tasted a little like a pot roast.
Groundhog pot roast. I won't knock it till I try it :)
my eyes must have betrayed me, for when I read about the ground dog,eating your tulips why would you add a dog?lol...anyway, this is my first time to see a ground hog...nice masterpiece...
raciniwa, My eye's betrayed me when I thought it was a cat. Thanks for visiting and for your comments.
LOL!
Sounds like somebody's kitty has never been disciplined at all!
Wesman, That's one big cat :)
AudreyHowitt Level 7 Commenter 3 months ago
I am so glad that you included the video--I wasn't sure what a ground hog looked like--on the flip side, you helped him survive!