Friday, March 11, 2016

Finally, A Funny Vole Story


"Feather-footed through the plashy fen passes the questing vole.", William Boot in Scoop, by Evelyn Waugh.
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Have you walked across plashy fen, aka your lawn, and knew what your feet were feeling?  Have you considered the vole/mole who creates the squoosh?  Not me either.  Waugh's sentence, above, probably the funniest sentence I've read in 2 decades.
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In a client's garden, after noticing 'squoosh', I'll say, "You've got moles."  Quickly arrives the client's mole face, I-don't-know-what-this-is-but-it's-obviously-bad-look.
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Bottom line best option to get rid of moles?  A garden cat.  Traps or chemicals are not for me.


Contemporary backyard:

Pic, above, here.

Voles/moles do have a wicked sense of humor, manifested in an obvious manner.  Choosing gardens to dine upon they will choose the garden, above.  Why opt for the garden, below, zero impact to the owner.

cottage, meadow, sheep:

Pic, above, here.
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My garden cat, Torte-de-Shelle, always brought her mole conquests to the back door.  I promptly tossed them under a bush somewhere to feed the soil.
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Garden & Be Well,   XO Tara

5 comments:

Penelope Bianchi said...

Lighting candles and praying. I don't know anything else. If you have a brainstorm..let me know!!!


Our kitties.....because we live within many acres (just doubled thanks to a neighbor buying 26 acres and adding on to her 52 acres!) cannot go outside. We have many "roof rats"! (something has to be wrong here in Montecito......so we will deal.. I need to get 4 more iw,giysues!!

now what to do about the ants!!???!!!

Merrilyn said...

Took years of experimenting for my heavenly gardener to arrive at the perfect shade mix for our mow-blow-go patch of green when we built our home over thirty years ago. Surrounded 360 by Missouri oak woods, the moles loved burrowing through that tender grass. Heavenly gardener became pretty lethal w/ the mole traps & then even better, our Brittany Spaniel learned to go on point when his master, sharp spade in hand, walked about in the midday sun, checking for runs. Dog and Master have gone on, leaving me to guard the plashy fen. Enter the "Critter Gitter" also handy w/ the traps.....for a price. When a new love came into my life, I had no idea my good fortune. He, in white shirtsleeves and black pants, muscles taut for the kill, promptly demonstrated his love & prowess by presenting me w/ velvety voles. $$ pocketed, lavish praise & petting & treats for my very proud keeper of the fen. Garden cats triumph!

La Contessa said...

AND TORTE DE SHELLE did not GO find them AGAIN??
WHAT A NAME!!!!!!!!!
GOT GARDEN CAT ...........THEODORABLE also known as THEODORE!
He likes FLYING BIRDS more then GROUND animals.Must teach him to LOOK DOWN!
XX

La Petite Gallery said...

You are so right, they can't see it. yvonne

Rebecca said...

Sadly, we are PLAGUED with them here. I just can't bring myself to have a garden cat. What to DO? I believe we've tried EVERYTHING.