So, I sit here in my burrow, which is interconnected to the homes of my brethren.
Life is good this time of year as there are not as many pesky folks running or cycling over us.
The snow flurries a bit but we aren’t alarmed by it. We were gifted with fur coats after all.
My ancestors spent the winters digging about digging holes and spinning yarns about avoiding hawks and coyotes.
They lived the simple life. Things are a bit drafty now and a little more complex.
At one time, we had master craftsmen amongst us that built elaborate doors for our mounds.
They kept everyone happy as our homes can be a tripping hazard. The buffalo appreciated these doors and thanked us by giving us fuel for our cooking fires.
We are quite forward thinking and we knew a westward expansion was coming. The cows were on the way and the ranchers would need assistance.
So, the reinforced door industry was booming. We needed to keep our homes safe from hooves and alleviate danger.
Skilled labor was in high demand those days. We had already decked our halls.
.
.
What did us in we’re those pesky cowboys.
Every time they saw one of us building a door, they would point a stick at us and it would make a loud noise. Instantly, there would be body parts everywhere. Many laughed as they did so, pointing loud sticks every old where.
Those were dark times they called the black death. They called us prairie dogs and discriminated against us without cause. Without representation, we had no recourse.
Our skilled tradesmen died in vast numbers and in a short time, so did the art of door making.
With no doors to cover the entrances to our dwellings, cows, horses, people and everything else tended to fall in our homes and break their legs. It wasn’t our fault.
They shot at us, poisoned us, drowned us, and threw explosives in our homes.
And do we get reparations in exchange?
No.
We get groundhog day.
Marmots, antisocial, unfriendly, overweight curmudgeons that sleep through the winter get a special day. It just isn’t right.
Somehow, they get to choose the weather.
Why just today, I overheard a couple walk by and in whispered tones say we carry “the plague”. I don’t recall ever pointing a stick and splattering body parts everywhere. It was we who suffered so many years ago.
Don’t get me started on otters. There is a stigma on killing them as they are “reincarnated ancestors” of the natives.
Child, please. Let me tell you, we were here when the Bering was crooked. Otters believe in evolution and want to be fish again. Delusional.
You see, we are mound builders, the first rodents in the North American continent. We are fierce, family first, and have a versatile vocabulary.
Our enemy, the black footed ferret is nearly vanquished.
While our cousins, the squirrels have fled to the trees, we are stalwart, proud, and robust.
We are rodentia.
P.S.
Benjamin, I have your cell phone and all your passwords. You will see more of us.
Author: Benjamin
Benjamin Thiel is a community leader, urban farmer, and author of The Ongoing Tale at Brothers Campfire. He might know a guy...
LOVE this!!
🐀 thank you!
love the singer.. I would have invited him to our post today to join us.. 🤣
nice job today! 💖
The 🐭 🐁 🐀 rodents thank you. We will drop by if you like!
lol… give them my best. I would hope you would be visiting.. 💖
Ha ha! I can drop by. Let me pile everyone in the car. I need to find a duck sitter.
Oh bring them all … 🤣🤣😘 we could use a few quackers 💖
I bet you will send me a bill. 🦆
🤣🤣🤣🤣 What a great idea!
Consider it done! 😜🤗
Are you on the web, or are you ducking the attention? 😮😀😃🤠🔥
hmmmm on the web.. it appears I’m in your web as we speak… 🤣
did you ping me or something?
Are you egging me on? I am a shell of a man. I will lift and get yolked.
scrambling your brain maybe a little.. 🤣
Cheese or no cheese?
Cheese.
You are a cheese alright!
Why the sudden interest?
I am milking this conversation.
I know, you’re cows must be out to pasture
With a curdling yell, I will show them the whey home.
Sing and the campfire … that outta bring them home.
can’t send my response to your comment
Cheese…. you must be busy smiling for the camera…
You are a cheese alright!
Indeed!
😹🤗
p.s.
Long game of checkers here… 😜
Ha ha!
I’m certain I won! 🤣
Yes you did!
Start singing!!!
What would you like me to sing?
The song we never sang at the campfire! 🤣
surprise me.
Sounds good!
😘
Oh my. That emoji will be described in my next post!
LOL.. I can hardly wait! Don’t forget to mention you stood me up at the campfire singing and the emails.. 🤣🤣🤣🤣
A man named Baldwin Mailer seems quite smitten with a lass. You should check it out!
WHERE do I find this lass?
My next post refers to her.
Baldwin Mailer seems like a scary man… but I’ll check him out. 🤣🤣🤣
Perhaps he is scary to scary things.
hmmmm are you refering to me? 😹
I am telling you he is a pretty decent fellow…. Ahem…. Was.
I will have to visit the dragon poor thing to see.. I rather liked him.
The Dragon, or Baldwin?
Well I loike them both…. 🤣
Lol!!! I’ll go check him out but he sounds scary!
He is a pretty solid fellow.
🤣🤣🤣
He does appear to be.. 💖
I sang it to my wife and she was curious as to who Cindy was, lol.
lol… sing it on your site!!! next post. 🤣
I may for Valentine’s Day
Well honey, you better get on it.. Today is V.D. 🤣
I am recording.
Can hardly wait!!! 💖
A very rough draft in your inbox
I sent you a very rough draft.
I’ll have a look silly man! 💖
I can be sillier.
I know so!
Very cute story with great photos, Ben! <3 Take care! <3
Thank you, Cheryl! I appreciate you stopping by to enjoy rodent architecture!
But… I want those Cowboys to go away. 😿
I want the little fellows to be happy, too. Not only the 🐙. 😉
Have a great day, Benjamin! VVN
Mean ole cowboys! That Kraken is just so misunderstood isn’t he?
Rodents and sea monsters get such a bad rap.
Them rodents need to figger out that door building stuff again.
I would say!
I hope you got your cell phone back in one piece. Did you spray it for plague fleas?
There are negotiations in play for the safe return of intellectual property and technological devices.
👍👍👏👏👏Love this! 😁😂
Thank you, Auntie!
You’re welcome, nephew!
They demand our constant attention. HANTAVIRUS
You are not kidding. That is a real concern.
Beautiful blog
Thank you. I appreciate you stopping by.
My pleasure
You done messed with the wrong rodent.
Unfortunately.
Thanks for the laughs!! Maggie
Absolutely! Thank you for stopping by!
Lulu: “Whoa, THAT is the sort of thing the gophers have hidden in their tunnels? I guess I have to dig deeper!”
Ha ha!
This is truly great Love the voice
Strive for Laughter
Ha ha! Thank you!
That was an interesting tale Mr storyteller.
Thank you!