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Why has my backyard become so popular lately? Oh, I’m not talking about friends and neighbors, but rather, unwanted wildlife. Every morning, before letting the dog out, I have to go on patrol around the backyard and chase away the rabbits so Griffin doesn’t wind up with an unexpected breakfast treat. We have a fence around our backyard and I thought I made it quite clear to the rabbits that they should stay on their side and I would keep Griffin (our sheltie) on his side. Griffin is holding up his end of the bargain but the rabbits have violated the agreement. These rabbits must be rather stupid because the grass is clearly not greener on Griffin’s side of the fence. With a dog and two kids who play in the yard daily, the grass inside the fence struggles to survive, while the grass outside of the fence is very green. Perhaps the rabbits are thrill seekers engaged in a game of chicken.
Then we have the frogs. Watering my plants on the deck used to be a very calming experience. I loved being out there in the early morning before anyone woke up. I would lovingly tend to my flowers while enjoying the fresh air of a new day. Now, watering my plants has become a heart-stopping event as I never know how many frogs are going to jump out at me at any given moment.
And we mustn’t forget the family of skunks that have taken up residence at my neighbor’s house. While the skunks are technically not living on my property, they’re visiting on a regular basis and we’re still dealing with the olfactory memory of Griffin’s first encounter with a surprised skunk.
So as I sit on my deck to write this blog, I keep a keen eye out for uninvited wildlife and frequently swat at the mosquito air force trying to suck the last drop of my blood. The red wasps are sunning themselves on the deck railing and I’m sure they’re planning some form of sneak attack. I’m allergic to bees and I wonder whether the rabbits have hired the wasps as hit men to do me in. A bumble bee buzzes circles over my head – he was probably hired as surveillance. I pull the can of Raid a little closer to me and give the bumble bee a defiant look. The backyard battle has begun.
