Anderton Versus the Voles

I am an avid reader. I often get teased about having 4 or 5 books going at once on my nightstand. I think it began in elementary school. I have memories of often approaching Mr. Fenner, our school librarian, concerning which books he thought I would like to read. He came to understand my tastes, for I always enjoyed what he helped me pick out for reading material. I still remember many of the books, some of which I still have in my collection (not the exact same copies, of course – I did return them to the library). One short story that I remember was “Leiningen Versus the Ants”. The story, by Carl Stephenson, centers on a scrappy, no-nonsense plantation owner in Brazil named Leiningen (his first name is never mentioned in the story), and his stubborn refusal to abandon his plantation in the face of a seemingly unstoppable mass of army ants, described as "an elemental - an Act of God!”. I would recommend you look it up. It was even adapted to the screen with Charlton Heston as Leiningen in the "Naked Jungle". Which brings us to the voles. It has been a bad year for voles in Wenatchee. Mild winter, lots of spring moisture, and our absence (to control them early) all contributed to our vole infestation. They can do considerable damage to a lawn (see picture) and don’t let their cuteness sway you – they are heartless little demons. By August, I could be seen wandering my lawn muttering to myself. So, it came time for the offensive. "Anderton Versus the Voles". I got out all my weapons – smoke bombs, road flares, sticky pads, mouse traps, oatmeal mixed with plaster of paris, etc. And, much like Leiningen, I unleashed my arsenal. See the August calendar page for the results.