The Mole
On November 14th, 2010, I woke up and told my mom I was going outside to take some photographs. It had just snowed yesterday, and it looked just magnificent.
I put on my hat, boots, and coat. Then I coaxed my little dog Sara outside with me. I unzipped my camera case and took my camera out.
I snapped a few photos of my dog and cat, but they weren't very good. I shrugged and walked into the backyard to see if the snow covered trees held any birds I could get photos of. I looked around in the trees, but could not find any.
My cat jumped around in the snow, and my little dog trotted after her. I thought the snow was just too deep for my cat, so that's why she was jumping around. But then I heard a peeping noise, and saw a little brown mouse-creature scurry under the snow. I gasped, thinking it was a mouse.
My cat kept chasing him around and around in the snow, and once, when my tracks in the snow made a path for him, he paused and screamed in terror. Then I knew I had to help him. He had buried himself in the snow again, and by now I knew he was a baby mole, but and my cat was on his trail. I kicked up snow gently, he dashed from the snow and went in between my legs, but I was not frightened. He wavered around under me- probably because moles can't see very well, and they just have excellent hearing- then he plowed back into the snowy blanket.
I put my dog inside, then my cat. I ran into the garage and found a box and lid. I searched around for him where I last saw him, but had no luck. Before I knew it I had almost kicked up half the area of the backyard, and I still hadn't found him.
Then I thought, "If my cat found him once, she could find him again!" I went inside and got my cat. I carried her to the area I had kicked up. She started prancing around in the snow for a little while, then she must have gotten bored, because she ran away to see if she could find her next helpless prey.
Something in the back of my mind told me he wasn't out here, and to give up, but I still didn't want to lose hope. I kicked around in the snow some more, I even trekked around in the woods a bit, but he was gone.
I wasn't planning on keeping him forever, no, because I wanted to observe him a little, see how he made those burrows in the snow, offer him some food, maybe give him a name, Little Guy, I would have called him. You might think, "Why would you want a filthy creature, that can't even see where it's going?" Well I would have loved him, you know why? I wasn't afraid of him. I usually freak at mice scurrying around everywhere, but not this little mole.
I searched and searched and searched everywhere. Then, finally, I gave up. I was glad that I probably saved his life for a while, and he might be in his own little den with his family, but I wanted just to see him, to tell if he was okay.
I trudged through the snow and put the box and lid back into the garage. I went inside, to where my little dog Sara was waiting at the top of the steps for me. I took off my hat, boots, and coat and put them in their proper places. I sat down at my computer and wrote how I had saved a little mole's life, for now.
