??Lockdown Update??
Dear Inmates, we have a resident Mole living on our property! He is a feisty little fellow and incredibly busy. Every morning when we step onto our front porch with some rusks and steaming hot coffee, the layout of the yard has changed overnight.?
Kaal-ou is struggling with our self-appointed tenant. He was looking forward to the landscaping and gardening of his new property all by himself. He decided to meet Mr Mole upfront and personal to convey his feelings. Shovel in hand, one afternoon, the five of us gathered around the molehill as Kaal-ou removed the heap of sand to reveal a vast gaping black hole in the ground. With mixed feelings there we stood as if at a funeral…. heads bowed down staring into an open grave… in silence… doggies snouts to the ground sniffing-sniffing and tails clenched between their legs. Only two items were missing, a flower wreath and a dead body! Mr Mole showed no interest in meeting his new landlord. ?
What puzzles me is why he would prefer to habitat in our garden. I notice that the soil conditions are perfect for digging his tunnels and barrows. He seems to be building a housing complex down under at the rate he is digging and designing his nest. Two houses from us are a lush green fynbos corridor growing on the same kind of soil we have. Moles are insectivores, and the fynbos vegetation is overflowing with earthworms, grubs, slugs and all sorts of crawling?insects, the kind he likes to munch on. The roots of the Cape vegetation is also far tastier than the scarce patches of Kikuyu grassroots which constitutes our front lawn at the moment.?
We love the fact that we are surrounded by fauna and flora conservation corridors and the wildlife that it facilitates. Often you have to slow down as ducks, quails or guinea fowls leisurely take their time crossing the road. ??
Yesterday, for the first time since lockdown, we were out on parole and took a short trip to Vöelklip to have lunch with our friends. What an awesome pleasure it was to sit around a table, partake in meaningful fellowship, to break bread, share a glass of wine and enjoy delicious braaivleis! How we missed this uncomplicated essential activity!!
P.S. No animal was harmed before, during or after this whaletale was penned. One human (Kaal-ou), is currently under observation for some emotional distress. However, nothing that a glass of Merloo??can’t fix! ?
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