Emerging from a tunnel
Have you trimmed your lawn yet? Traditionally Easter is the
time to mow. Mr T has already been out there giving the grass a light hair cut
(which is more than I have had). Mind you we do not have a lawn, in the strictest
sense, it is just a corner of one of the fields with short grass.
The trouble is, though, that because it is really part of a meadow,
we have lots of moles. And there is nothing wrong with that, but if you have
moles you will know that they can be a problem because they make mole hills. In
our case right in the middle of the ‘lawn’. And apart from it being unsightly they
can also burrow under our plants and I have seen such disturbance that the plant
dies. Sometimes moles come near the surface to dig and I have watched the earth
move in a long line.
We have never seriously tried to get rid of moles though I
have a friend who employs someone to do this. There are traps and fumes, and we
have tried the child’s plastic windmill because moles are not supposed to like
the vibrations. Usually, we do not bother and just put up with them. After all, moles
aerate the soil with their tunnels and they are a sign that the soil is rich
with worms.
I saw a mole yesterday in Oak Meadow – this is a rare treat,
in fact, it was my first time. I saw him at his hill of soil. I saw his wide digging
paws; he has an extra thumb to help move soil. He did not see me because moles
are practically blind, but he could sense my movements and was soon back down
in his dark tunnel again. I expect he was busy looking for a female to mate or
he could have been hunting for a tasty worm, slug, or grub.
Often farmers are concerned about the moles because they can
make the ground uneven and cause livestock to stumble and sustain serious damage.
William of Orange died after he fell from his horse which is said to have
stumbled on a hole made by a mole. The story goes that his enemies were pleased
and had a toast to the mole which they called the ‘little gentleman in the
black velvet waist coat’.
I think we have lived a little like the mole staying
‘underground’ for a year. Now we look forward to emerging into the spring
sunshine. And another piece of good news is that our little hen is laying again
after her winter rest. We have a fresh egg every day.
(Taken from my column in the Shropshire Star on Thursday - Talking point with Vicky Turrell).
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