So...yesterday there was a great commotion in the back yard. Gus the BorderBeagle had cornered his quarry, which had taken refuge in a large plastic storm drain hose, about 4 feet long. I looked out to see Gus with his nose jammed into the hose, which he then held up in the air as he trotted around in the yard. If I hadn't been worried about the critter, which I assumed was a squirrel, I should have videotaped him. He looked like a circus performer.
Then he'd drop the hose and bark first at one end and then the other. I heard little squeaks and scratches from inside the hose. So I pulled Gus inside and waited for his prisoner to escape.
After about 20 minutes a little nose poked out and then pulled back in. After about half an hour, the whole thing emerged. It was either the mother of all squirrels or.....wait! It had a long scraggly tail! Gus had cornered a muskrat! It slowly made its way to what I hope was safety under the blue spruces. We've never had a muskrat in the yard in the 23 years we've lived in this home. I had to look it up on the internet to be sure. Poor Gus is very despondent that his hunt was interrupted. I had to let him lick the empty peanut butter jar for comfort.
And that was the most exciting event of my week.
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