The Groundhog

so, some of you that read my blog might already be aware of my groundhog, um, issue so to speak. For others, this will be new information. There's just no 2 ways about it. They follow me around. No seriously, they do.

Now hear me out. When I moved back to KC in 2003 I used to see this one groundhog who would sunbathe on a rock next to Hy 169 North. On a good day, he would lift his head and wink at me. No, I'm just kidding. I made that part up and I really have to say that I cracked myself up in doing so.

So I'll address a few questions you may have. Why do I think it's the same one every time? Because that entertains me more than assuming different groundhogs happen to pass the same rock and catch a quick snooze on the same rock at the same time every afternoon. So sue me. Secondly, why is this groundhog a he. Why not?

So as my relationship with Jeremy grew, I let him in on this little secret. So he can vouch for the fact that I can somehow spot a groundhog wherever I go. Honestly I can pretty much spot any animal or varmint (is that a real word or just something they made up on Scooby Doo?) on the side of the road at any given moment. I swear it comes from my dad saying "now watch the road" every time I have left the house. I became hyper aware of any deer or other animal that might run out in front of my car. But I am digressing. Shocking, I know.

Anyway, when we moved into this house in 2006 you won't believe what happened. A groundhog set up his home under our front step. There were several days when I would see him (yes, the same him that used to hang out on Hy 169) walk up my sidewalk as if he were going to knock on my door. He would crawl under the front step and that's where he lived for several months. I prayed every night that one day I would look out the window and he would be wearing a bow tie and top hat and be swinging a black umbrella as he whistled his way up to my front door. But that never happened.

Then a little over a year ago, I let our two dogs out in our back yard and they totally freaked out. Yup, my ol' buddy was in the back yard. I rushed to get the video camera and recorded the whole thing! So I have proof this happened. The dumb thing just walked slowly (and I stress the slowly part) through the yard while my two dogs barked uncontrollably in his face. I was standing outside videoing when suddenly he made a turn for me. He picked up speed and started running...if you can even call it that...towards me. I totally freaked. I started yelling "He's coming to get me" or something stupid like that and I taped the rest of it from inside the storm door. I worried later that perhaps I had hurt his feelings. After all, he has been courting me for nearly 7 years now. I could have had the decency to not turn around and run from him like a screaming lunatic. But alas, I did exactly that.

There was another time at Lake of the Ozarks when a bunch of us went on a walk and I was actually talking about my friend, the groundhog, and one walked right across our path! Directly in front of us.

And today I saw him again. He was hanging out on Hy 45 near my house. He stood up on his back legs and gave me a little wave. I waved back.