The Burrows October 28, 2013

What a difference a week makes.  Since my last visit to Pi (on Monday the 22^nd), about a dozen deep, wide burrows have appeared on the pasture close to the house.  Much, much bigger than the ubiquitous gopher holes that I have come to ignore, these burrows lie to the south of the driveway, some are right in front of the deck, and still others have appeared within the lavender along the fence. I have yet to spy the industrious critter(s) responsible for them, but I suspect either a badger (readers of this blog will recall the excitement of seeing one last year) or a coyote.  Only Kerry the dog knows for sure who is living down there, as she barked at something during the night, but she’s not telling. 

Perhaps the digger is seeking underground water.  This year, the pasture is bone dry, nothing but dirt; the Nicasio Reservoir tells the tale: it is a now mere puddle.   With none of the typical grass to obscure the holes, I can’t be sure that excavation isn’t an annual process.  But these enormous burrows are actually a bit scary; the sandworms from “Dune” come to mind, and I get the sense that the entire pasture could collapse at any moment.  I worry, too, that the horses will stumble on them and injure themselves.  Such is coexistence with wildlife, and I hope I can  identify the animal with whom I happily share this land.