The Flush and Stomp Method

I was awake and still in bed.  I kissed him goodbye and heard him gather our only awake daughter. The door closed and so did my eyes. -Then shrieks, yelling, and a whole lot of excitement startled me out of bed to throw on some clothes to see what they had found.

While I lie in bed, pretending the day wasn't starting, my husband and eldest daughter were in the backyard inspecting the "sprung" mole trap.  Only the metal prongs of death hadn't pierced the flesh of any (once) living thing.  The trap was discharged, and empty.  The frustration of failure-again.

Not to be thwarted by this seemingly invincible mole, the hose was employed.  Team Hammerstone does not (always) give up easily.  While living in the city, the hose proved to be a menacing weapon in the pursuit.  Could it possibly work again on this sunny spring morning of May?

The hose was in-acted, only which hole to put it in?  So many to choose from...  Finally, daughter spots (she is known in the family as "the spotter") a new tunnel at the base of the Ash tree.  "Put it here!"  she instructs her father.  He wants to choose a different tunnel, but daughter is persistent.  

In the hole the hose goes in hopes that the water will flush the mole out.  The anticipation, the hope... and... nothing.  Water does go in, but that is all that happens.  Defeat at 7 a.m.  Mornings are SUPPOSED to be the promise of what is to come-brand new and fresh with possibilities.

Eric, filled with disappointment, distracts the hose from the ground.  A splurge of water escapes...ALONG with the half drowned mole!  SURPRISE!  The mole immediately makes a run for it.  This is when all of the screaming and shouting start.  This is when my eyes pop open. The chase is on!  The mole scurries across the yard and makes quick work of burrowing back into the earth.  More shouting.  Then, "STOMP!".  

Before Mr. Mole could invade our precious plot one more time, Eric's boot made abrupt contact with its head.  Gone.  Finished.  Eliminated.  Shouts of victory awake the neighborhood.  I, hastily clothed, step out onto the bedroom deck and peer down in the yard. Team Hammerstone is triumphant and elated.  "Come see it!  Come see it!" I was instructed.

I make my way down to the yard.  All I could see was a  pink tip (its nose) peeking out of the grass.  My family replays the story for me.  Its furry lifeless body is disposed of.  Failure at 7 a.m. is replaced with sweet victory.  The morning regains its original status of being filled with possibilities and hope.

How can something so destructive and annoying be so small and dare I say, cute?  Actually, this is a good lead in to the story of Trouble.  Another small, cute, destructive creature of the hamster variety.

To be continued...

And on a side note- 

When Ava finally wakes up, I tell her to get dressed because we have a surprise for her.  She asks me if she has to close her eyes for her surprise.  "No", I say.  We step outside and  Audrey gets the bag containing the mole corpse and opens it.  Ava looks.  I point out all of its interesting and cute features-the big, flat front paws, the sweet pink nose and tail. I reenact how the mole uses those paws to burrow.  Then I point out all of the hills and bare spots in the yard reminding her that this little creature was the one responsible.  Ava looks at me with eyes filled with a combination of sleepy and disappointment, and in her very  matter of fact way, informs me, "I really don't like my surprise."  The End!