Moles and First Fire

Mario, our wood stove installer, was drilling perfectly round holes in our ceilings and roof for the stove pipe. A human-made tunnel for the smoke to escape into the sky above. While he was working away on the holes and tunnels, I took Kodi for a walk down the road to our favorite conservation area. There I found a different set of holes and tunnels and several mounds -- made by moles.

I think the moles are digging their deeper underground tunnels now, getting ready for winter. And we too were creating holes and tunnels for the wood stove, in preparation for winter.

Here it is December 4th and the ground is as soft as mid-summer. This mole turned up some beautiful loam.

I could use one of these diggers to cultivate my garden in spring. It's a pity that most people want to get rid of them any way they can. Like beavers, moles are so beneficial, eating grubs and aerating the soil. Their mounds, which are just a by-product of the tunneling, can be easily smoothed out.

When we got back to the house, Mario and his helper were still working on our stove tunnel. By mid-afternoon they finished and the four of us watched the first fire burn in the new stove! Like the moles, we are now ready for winter.