An Unexpected Visitor...

I was up early the other morning and decided to walk outside to enjoy the peace and quiet that only early mornings can offer. I walked around to check on my flowers...to see if the poison ivy was dying off yet and walked over to the pool. 

So I am standing about where I took this picture and I noticed something INSIDE the pool house on the right side. Now this is one of my fears...waking up to a deer in the pool, a snake anywhere or just some creature out there.

Well, my fears were unwarranted. We have a neighborhood feral cat and I figured that was what was creeping out. The "animal" continued his journey stopped just to the right of the garbage sack. I started to wonder, "How and why in the world is that cat keeping it's ears that close to its head?"  

The creature then moved to the step, stopped and sniffed the air. I squinted my eyes (apparently that helps my vision) and I suddenly had a gut retching realization: THAT IS NO CAT!! 

But what is it?
Should I run for cover?
No. Just quint my eyes harder...

OH MY!! IS THAT..IS THAT A BEAVER? 

No. Can't be a beaver because it doesn't have a paddle tail. But it looks just like a beaver!

It then jumped down the step and started to waddle to the left by the bricks and went around the pool house and disappeared. 

OF COURSE Jason was out of town, so I text him immediately. His response, "Are you sure it wasn't a pheasant?" (hahahaha...remember that story??" 

No, actually his response was, "Are you serious about the animal in the house?" I explained how it was a beaver with out the paddle tail, more of a little bushy tail. 

He then sent me this picture asking, "Is this it?"

YES!!

 

This is exactly what it looked like and it was BIG! 

This, my friends, is a groundhog. And this, my friends, was in my pool house. 

Punxsutawney Phil visited me, which does not thrill me.

 

I did a little research on this creature and found they are the largest species in the squirrel family. So not only do we have tons of squirrels, but now we have HUMONGOUS squirrels. Groundhogs are skilled climbers and SWIMMERS (not in our pool) which helps them to escape less-skilled predators (such as myself.) Oh...and the reason for it being out so early that morning...they get up early for love. Who wouldn't want to start their morning coming across a giant squirrel looking for love.