They're Backkkkkkk

Post # 84 Last fall i discovered that my yard is occupied by someone other than me and the dogs.  I had these holes in the grass.  Yes, I DO have some grass, on approximately 1/16th of my lot and I don't let the dogs out there because of whoever these critters are, so back to my story.  Suddenly last fall we had these holes in the front yard.  First thing I thought of was rattlesnakes or prairie dogs ... they are common in the TX panhandle.  Never saw a critter so I would try filling the holes up ..... usually with dirt, but I also tried with the poop I had picked up after the 5 dogs (my 3 and 2 grand dogs that visit) then topped with dirt, that would make me want to move.  Oh, don't say "gross" -- if you have a dog you have to pick up poop too.  By the way, one of the best things I have ever spent money on is a long handled pooper scooper set from PetSmart. Now back to our story, the only thing that did was cause another hole to show up somewhere else in the yard.  Last count we had 7.  Once I stuck the water hose down in one of the holes, turned it on full blast for like 15 minutes and nothing popped up but boy the holes must be deep because water never ran back out of the hole.  My sister told me to go turn that water off because my trailer house was going to up-end like a sinking boat.  No, it wouldn't....it is securely anchored to concrete pillars in the ground which cost a fortune but I am glad FHA requires them (but after I laughed myself silly over a mental picture of my 15' x 75' house with one end stuck up in the air that picture in my mind made me run turn the water off). That makes me think ... I have never seen The Apprentice because Donald Trump makes my stomach roll but the winner this season was a man originally from Amarillo ... where I live .... John Rich ... and was quoted as saying something like ... "Donald Trump doesn't scare me, I grew up in a trailer house in Tornado Alley". To live here in a "mobile home" where a good strong wind is 70 mph and sometimes gusts up to 100 and blows over 18 wheeler trucks going down I-40 (yes, really) toughens you up that way. And "single wide trailer houses" and "mobile homes" are neither, we take the wheels off and anchor them, never to move again unless a tornado whips by.  They are super cheap houses for poor folks who would rather not have to live in their car.  Would I like a brick house with a basement, well duh! Social Security and my retirement ck don't stretch that far.  I forgot to take my medicine today, can you tell? I am having a hard time staying on track, but i AM going to finish this post...so between the dirt, poop and water I thought I had run off whatever it is in those holes.  Yesterday I watered early in the morning, yard looked normal.  Late that night I watered again and saw this....oh rats! (no, not rats living there, that is just an expression like darn it!)


a pile of dirt appeared out of no where
(that black thing is Gracie's nose)  



and a few feet over, this hole.  Why isn't the
dirt next to this hole I wonder.  Gracie is a little schnauzer
and can stick her entire head in this hole...
the reason why I normally don't let the
 dogs in the front yard.....don't want them
to get snake bit, or catch rabies or something
.

And this hole...

I've never seen what is doing the digging, but it isn't the dogs, they can't get to the front yard unless I let them.     So what do you think it is and how do I get them to move on?  There are at least 3 or 4 acres of nothing around me but no, they are in my yard.  My grand-dog Andy is a beagle and that nose just goes crazy smelling around these holes. The occupants could be cute little bunnies rather than snakes, right?