On 6/15/2016 10:14 AM, Ecnerwal wrote:
In article ,
George Shirley wrote:

Alas, no blueberries, they seem
to have disappeared before ripening. Probably due to so much rain this
season.

Or rodents. Or birds.

We did find evidence this morning that a rat or something similar had
been in the garden munching on a tomato. Probably coming in from the
retention pond area behind us.

I notified the HOA about a family of nutria rats living there but they
don't seem interested. They will get interested when the nutria breach
the levee with their tunneling. Also saw a nice, big turtle about two
feet in diameter in the pond. May just have to poach that rascal, looks
like some really good meat there.

We occasionally get a water snake up here when the pond gets really low.
Scares the heck out of you until you realize what it is. I shoo them
away with a corn broom and they generally go. They're useful critters
for eating vermin, etc. I do prefer King snakes in the yard as they eat
poisonous snakes, plus any other snake too.