Groundhogs Day in the Desert

Can you imagine it? Groundhogs day so important to PUNXSUTAWNEY PHIL is hardly a day to announce here- being that we don't have groundhogs. Oh, but that is not exactly the truth. We have the most incredible  burrowing "hogs" of all. They are like some kind of cartoon super villains boring through the yard. One moment you walk outside and see a 3 inch hole in the ground and a few minutes later walking over the same exact spot you will find no trace of the excavation. Is this an illusion, or is it a super-powered digger? We have tried to catch a glimpse of this furry friend, but to no avail. Next thing you know there is a giant mound of earth piled up in the same place. This is made even more impressive because the ground being dug is largely a deep pile of rocks cemented together by impermeable clay. 

As it has become an obsession to find the culprit. We are becoming super sleuths as a family. What is the identity of this mysterious intra-terrestrial visitor? After months of careful observations of his rocky home. We have found him flashing across the ground and darting under the shed. He seems to be a faintly striped rodent. When found in groups they seem to always be in a hurry having fun- dashing about playing hide-n-seek, jumping and rolling over each other. Is it a chipmunk? No, too large and too chunky. Maybe a pocket gopher? No, they don't have stripes and seldom come out in the daytime. Our friend is obviously a lover of the ground. Our guess then a "ground squirrel", but what kind?

Through a search of the internet, the purveyor of all truth. We have discovered that our miner is an Antelope squirrel. A cute, chubby version of a chipmunk. If only I could harness his power and use it at planting time. It would be a task easily done. 

Knowing this creature lurks beneath our house and shed tells me he seems to own the place. Now if we could only get him to cleanup after himself. He would be a welcomed guest. So will there be six more weeks of winter? I can't seem to find "Partoun Pete" to ask him. I guess we'll just have to wait and see. By summer I'm sure we'll know the answer.