I was minding my own business tonight after work. I wasn't looking for a fight. I was just taking a bag of garbage out when I saw something unusual. Back by the compost bin I noticed something dark brown on the ground where it was usually light brown. That light brown is what we drought-stricken Californians call "the new green".
The picture below is almost too embarrassing for me to share. It looks so splotchy and gross. But this is what happens when you can't water your lawn. The little bit of green you do see is probably just from the veggie garden's drip irrigation.
At any rate, the dirt you see on the ground just to the right of the fence shouldn't be there. A closer inspection was necessary.
And this is what I found. Around the base of my active compost bin, something had been digging. I have been composting for years and all this time I've been adding kitchen scraps, rotten fruit, and even the occasional dead bug and I've never had anything go after my compost bin other than worms.
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| The back side of the compost bin |
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| The front side |
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| A somewhat closer view of the front. |
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| I tried to get a picture of the claw marks I saw. They looked fairly large but because they were up inside I couldn't get a clear picture. |
Gophers? Moles? Voles? Squirrels? What do you think this is? I didn't see any telltale mounds or tunnels because this opening is right at my fence so it's possible that their are mounds or tunnels on the other side.
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