Holey Moley

Holey Moley

 

“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past.”  Isaiah 43:18

“I’m only concerned about current activity.”  Mole Guy… Visit 1: Saying 1

“Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”  Matthew 6:34

            Just as it is said that in every life a little rain must fall, in our neck of the woods we might also say into every yard a little mole must crawl. Homeowners in moley territories like ours will recognize the mounds in the photo above with deep sympathy and sincere compassion. Steve planted spring grass seed and I planted strawberries, both plantings were dug up, dug, out, and busted through by our annually appearing, unwanted furry yard guest.

            Last year around July we had our first encounter with the mysteries of moles. Just a couple of holes like this popped up. Thus, began a saga of making mountains out of mole hills and researching methods into all means of preventing, repelling, trapping, or killing the persistent little yard and garden manglers. While I was wringing my hands over what St. Francis (via our garden statue) must be thinking of our animosity toward this little terror, Steve was channeling St. Augustine’s philosophies, and finding “just cause” in a war to defend our yard.  We compromised last year from internet-found ideas, and tried a combination of sonic beeping posts with Juicy Fruit gum – I kid you not. What sounds like a Bugs Bunny defense, seemed to work last year. But this year, the sonic repelling posts, instead of repelling, seemed to be providing an overly effective mating-call out into the hinterlands of our neighbors yards, and moles in our neighborhood descended upon our yard this spring as though we put out adverts for hosting the best-ever honeymoon hotspot for moles. 

            As the mounds began to pop up two and three at a time overnight, we removed the sonic beeping posts and began to roll into what I would consider early DEFCON 1 of anti-mole mode, with 3 spring-loaded, scissor-action, killing traps bought, and (with a little struggle) set.  Traps were placed along what appeared to be active tunnels. No moles got trapped, and several more new mole mounds tauntingly appeared each night for a week – some, spitefully, right next to the traps.

   So, we called a guy.

            Well, Steve called. He didn’t leave a message ‘cause it was Sunday, and he wasn’t sure the guy was really working or taking messages. But, the guy called back. And, true to the reviews we had eyed-up on Yelp, he was a “Character” – yes, with a capital C - in the very best possible way. Briefly put, the mole guy is a gruff old hipster. He arrived in blue jeans, a fedora, and a brusk attitude. He promptly blustered into sarcastic surprise that Steve hadn’t hurt himself setting the traps that we had already set! Steve chuckled, and began to tell him a little about the pattern of the development of the mounds, but the guy threw his hands up to silence Steve, as though he were the mole-whisperer. He sniffed at the air seemingly to catch a whiff of where the moles might be.  “I’m only concerned about current activity.” “You can waste your time over-thinking these critters.” He then began digging with trowel and bare hands onto the freshest of the mounds. A few digs in and he began to sing (with good voice) a Dean Martin classic “Sway.” I think he was actually serenading the mole tunnels to sway with him.

            I’ve recently read, and I would not dispute, that there are really two Bibles – the Holy Book filled with the Words of God, and Nature filled with of the Actions of God.  Taking this to be so, I’m fully amused by the Holey-Moley metaphor that tunneled it way into our lives this past Sunday - a hipster Mole Guy, preacher-of-the-Bible-of-Nature, gruffly reminding us to be present to the current Holey-Molement. Don’t over-think our problems. “Forget the former things… concern yourself with the current activity… don’t worry about tomorrow… be present to figuring out how to jump on this current active holey moment.” God knows this is a reminder I can use, reuse, and reuse… often.

            Thank you Author of Life, for continuing to reveal and provide Divine Word and Divine Nature. Thank you for continuing to impress on my heart how important the gift of the present moment really is. Continue to tunnel into the ground of our hearts to turn over what is hardened into soft Holey-Molements, openings for Your Word, Your Action, Your Love, Your Nature. Amen.