Living in a slightly rural area has it benefits. The trees clean the air up a bit. Animals fly, climb and run, well, wild throughout the day and night.

Most of the animals secure a squatting area as far away from humans as possible. However, over the past few years, some of the beasts are getting more and more comfortable trespassing on, in and around our human spaces. There is one beast in particular that has become a local nemesis: the groundhog we call “Chuck.”

Like the groundhog pictured above, Chuck is cute and furry, and looks harmless. However, s/he is as thief and a whole lot smarter than s/he looks (yeah, we haven’t gotten close enough to figure it out). On top of all that, Chuck is also crafty and fast.

For the past two years Chuck has gotten way too close for comfort. First my blackberry bush disappeared. Then my tomatoes had single bites before they were tossed to the ground (at least eat the whole thing!).

Defending the garden has become a saga that I share with anyone who will listen. Other than cayenne pepper (expensive!), nothing has kept Chuck away. I think s/he lost its sense of smell—but definitely not taste.

In mid-summer 2023, I decided to try something different. I connected bird netting to the top edges of the fencing and pulled outward. That prevented the beast from climbing over the top; so for the rest of the summer, eating clover and grass was sufficient. My veggies were again mine, all mine.

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Although it was a successful prevention method in 2023, I imagine Chuck in its burrow, dreaming, calculating the next move.

As we enter the 2024 growing season, I am awaiting the moment when the local groundhog sees its shadow. I will be waiting.