Critters in the Thick Woods

When we first moved into our house in the thick woods about six years ago, the first night was rather eye-opening.  A massive rain storm struck and we had tree frogs on our windows. Our driveway was a winding ribbon of white cement with a muddy torrent on each side, yet R. - who was making a quick Walmart run - nearly ran into the mud in an attempt to run over a large snake that crossed her path.

I think we were having second thoughts about our choice to bring our children into this wilderness.

During the time we have lived here, we have learned to co-exist.  We have a family of chimney sweeps that arrive every April to our chimney where they nest until the weather begins to cool.  On our front porch there are bird nests on top of the pillars on either corner.  The succession of residents there seem to follow the same pattern for each summer:  first a nest is constructed on the left and little ones are hatched and leave, then another nest is built on the right for the next family.

With the return of normal rainfalls this year (something for which we are most thankful), our woods are much greener and the "critter" activity seems to be enjoying an uptick as well.

Each night, it falls my lot to perform the final lock up and usually that means that I must be sure the cat is taken care of.  Since her highness prefers to spend the nights out of doors in the summer, then I must be sure that she is able to get to her food. On two recent occasions I have surprised a good sized raccoon - once eating her food and on another occasion eating the dogs food.

Because of this, I have adopted a "look before you leap" mindset.  So now I look out the window before opening the door to the garage. On at least two occasions, said cat has waited until I opened the door and then bolted toward me out of no where! She would say (if she could talk) that she was only lurching for the door in order to get to her food which I am prone to withhold from her.... but she would say it with a rye grin.

We have also found two of her likely victims in the garage this summer. Apparently she was distracted from her systematic torture and left them for a time.  One was a dazed little mole I happened upon one morning. He would move - even when I stomped my feet very near him.  I saw a little movement and deemed him to still be alive.  I scooped him up in a shovel, tossed him into the woods and he happily scampered away. 

On another instance, R. and the kids found a baby rabbit in the garage.  It too was acting strangely. I could not find it when I came home from work but the kids found its carcass the next day.

There's nothing quite like holding a funeral and interment for a dead woodland creature for breaking the monotony of summer boredom.  So they said a few words over him and buried him near the goat pen.

The final visitor to our garage - so far - was probably a descendant of one of those first visitors. The other night shortly after or during a rain, I opened the door to the garage and there on the stoop, within inches of the kitchen was a little tree frog.  He too, did not offer to flee at my threatening gestures so I closed the door and left him to his own pleasure.

I think it is a good experience for our kids to be this close to nature - not something I experienced much having grown up mostly in subdivisions.  My hope and prayer is that they will always be amazed and in wonder at the beauty of God's creation.