Real Estate Corner: Groundhog neighbors

Last month, I noticed a massive groundhog hanging out in my yard. I’ve seen groundhogs around in the past, but usually an infrequent sighting here and there, as if my yard served as a passthrough rather than a home. This one, however, was laying on the ramp leading into my shed, sunning herself. As soon as she noticed me, she scurried under the shed, which I presumed to be the location of her burrow. The next day, there she was again, all flubber and fur laying out in the sun. This went on for a while, until one day she was flanked by two other groundhogs, much smaller than her. All three retreated to their burrow once they noticed me, and that is when I realized I didn’t have just one groundhog living under my shed, but an entire groundhog family lived under there.

I haven’t seen Mama Groundhog for a bit, but for the past few weeks, the other two have been found foraging and frolicking around the yard on any given day. To be honest, I’ve come to love them quite a bit; they are so cute to watch. Still, I know that if I were more inclined as a gardener, I’d probably curse their existence since they can be so destructive. But, I’m not a gardener, so instead, I just love them.