Now I know what you're all thinking....."Audrey, step away from the animal, it can't be a good thing that it's so close to your house." And I know, after the bird that got stuck in the living room in April, the squirrel in the Christmas tree, the dead mouse in the toilet and the chipmunk in the study, it can't possibly be a good omen that we now have "Porch Puppies."
Let me clarify.
A couple of weeks ago Gareth and I were sitting in the front room just chatting and watching Gaby play - who, by the way, was looking out the front door. We have a glass storm door in front of the heavy door and she loves to stand there and look outside and talk to the birds (which she calls 'ducks'), or meow at passing cats and bark at passing dogs. All of a sudden she starts barking and meowing really enthusiastically and saying; "dogyyyyyyy, tac tac" (her word for cat) and she starts to bark and meow. We weren't sure what was up but decided to have a look because she was goin' nuts. Of course I didn't have my camera anywhere near and by the time I went and got it, the "animal" was gone.
What was this animal you ask? A woodchuck. A big, fat, furry woodchuck.
So, a couple of weeks pass and Gaby is standing on the couch this morning looking outside and she's getting really excited and leaning over and telling me; "mama, dog, doggyyyyy, my doggyyyyyyy" and there on the grass is "Chuck" munching away on grass clippings. Sorry the photo is so dark....
So I grab the camera and start clicking. Gaby is really excited about the "doggy" and I kept trying to tell her that it wasn't a puppy or cat but a woodchuck. She could have cared less.
Then we hear some noise by the front door, and Gaby goes running for the front door and starts yelling at the top of her lungs; " mamaaaaa mama mama mama MINE MINE MINE my doggy my doggy doggyyyyyyyyyyy!"
At the side of the front porch steps is a huge hole and that's where Mr. Chuck lives. Well I thought it was Mr. Chuck until I opened the door (I know I know, you're all screaming; "No Audrey YOU DIDN'T OPEN THE DOOR!!!!! and now you're looking for the saga about the runaway woodchuck in my house...relax! That didn't happen) to try and get a better shot and saw Mrs. Chuck and FOUR baby chucks all go running for the hole. That's one BIG hole!
Without further ado, I'd like you all to meet, 'Chuck', Gaby's "porch puppy".....
I don't know what it is with me and wild animals, but it looks like Gaby has inherited whatever it might be, because Chuck isn't the least little bit frightened of Gaby and he seems quite taken with her. Just the same, we'll keep our distance. Yes I'm fond of wildlife.....from a distance. It's just that often times, wildlife is fond of me....upclose!
