Finished!
I am most delighted to report that all the wood is stacked. It’s not the tidiest job of stacking, but the wood *is* stacked and I don’t have to think about that job again until next year. As always, I gain a tremendous sense of security looking out the door at my enormous woodpile. That’s my winter comfort. The stacks are over 5 feet high, so it’s hard to say exactly how much wood is out there, but I think it’ll be enough. There’s quite a lot more than I had last year, which lasted until the first week of March.
While I dug around the tag end of the pile in the driveway, extracting the last pieces of burnable wood, a scurrying furry critter caught my eye—the sleekest dark charcoal gray mole. It was desperately trying to find cover beneath pieces of wood bark. I chased the little thing all over the place, trying to scoop it up in my gloved hands to move it somewhere where I wouldn’t end up stepping on it. It squeaked at me and kept running and I kept chasing until I finally realized I was never going to catch it. I didn’t know moles were that fast. I have no idea where it ended up hiding. Not sure where it came from—perhaps along with the load of wood. It’s not the best tenant to have, but killing it was simply out of the question. This is where my soft heart and common sense collide.
wow, I go away for a few days and look what you have accomplished!!
Not so sure you should be so nice to the mole though cause, like mice, they do not come in ones and they will eat every bulb you have in your yard......I must have had at least 80 iris bulbs, all brought from my parent’s home years ago and two years ago the moles ate every last one........little **!!@@**&&’s. I knew it was moles cause you could see all their little dirt piles along their tracks. Of course, they are still there - somewhere - waiting for me to plant more so they can do it again!!
Posted by cyn on 09/18/06 at 09:50 PM
Thanks, Lynn. I feel pretty good about it. 
It sounds as if you have moles and voles, Cyn. Moles create the underground tunnels and leave piles of dirt everywhere, but they generally only eat earthworms and grubs and insects. Voles will use the mole tunnels to get at vegetation. They loves ‘em some good bulbs. I’d be on the war path if I had voles. But I’m a little more ambivalent about moles. They eat grubs, afterall. But I don’t care for their little piles of dirt all over the lawn (they used to drive my dad nuts). I’ve never had any before, so I think maybe this one came as a bonus with the wood.
Posted by Kate on 09/18/06 at 10:24 PM
Next entry: Noisy morning
Previous entry: No rain
Good job done.