The Reconstruction Period

During the deconstruction period Damon and I realized we had upset the very well-established homes of a variety of small rodents; chipmunks, field mice, and moles. As we tossed the boulders aside, we felt sorry to see small families of mice scurrying in groups up ahead to the stones we had not yet disturbed, tiny suitcases in their hands, the child mice clutching tiny stuffed people dolls in their gray arms. However, as we started to rebuild we noticed the mouse families returning and reestablishing themselves in their new digs. At times, they almost act grateful, climbing up on the rocks to watch us work. The mice chew on my fingertips and the chipmunk eats from my hand. I have named the chipmunk Suttree, after the character in the Cormac McCarthy novel of the same name--he is a goodhearted scoundrel like his namesake. There also green and black snakes, but Damon doesn't like to talk about those.