The Prairie Dogs of War.

According to official Saskatchewan folk wisdom, they're a blight, a pest, and an enemy. They ruin crops, they endanger horses, and they devastate landscaping. They used to be worthless when there was a five-cent bounty on their tails. They're less than worthless now, but they're still worth the scorn of the farmer. And that's just what I'm asking for when I say this:

Baby gophers are cute. Adorable, even! Just little bundles of fur that fly around and squeak. They're like the muppophones of the prairies. And, since Medicine Hat is enjoying its two weeks of spring, the pups are out cavorting all over the Greenhouse grounds.

You know, these fleeting moments of spring always remind me of something... do you recall the final scene in The Last Samurai? If you don't want to hear the spoilers, here's my point: gophers are cute. There it is -- you can leave now. Now, for the rest of you who saw that movie... the whole idea behind that cherry tree was that it's in perfect bloom for only a short time each year, and that one should take the time to appreciate its beauty, and then let the moment pass, in accordance with the grander scheme of nature.

That's the symbolism, anyway. But personally, I think that if the vision of the cherry tree had been replaced with a vision of a field of baby gophers, that movie would've still had me in tears.

"(gasp)..."
(squeak)
"Perfect."

I only hope I'm lucky enough to die with that much dignity.