Unexpected Visitor

Last week we heard this sound coming from outside the window. It was a weird ear piercing CHIRP....CHIRP.......CHIRP!!! At first I thought it was maybe a bird being attacked by our cat...(even though a noise that loud could in no way be coming from a little bird). The kids and I ran outside to investigate. Sure enough there was our cat crouched and ready to pounce at any moment on some poor little thing he had cornered in a bush. I quickly grabbed up the cat and threw him in the garage. But the chirping alarm never stopped. I got down on all fours to get a closer look at what the heck was in the bush and came face to face with this...

He was gigantic! It made me laugh to think that our cat had been willing to attack this critter that was over half his own size.

Luke took one look at it and announced, "I think it's a beaver."

Me- "Luke, I don't think he's a beaver."

Luke- "Mom, I know a beaver when I see one."

Okay. :)

Honestly I had no clue what he was, so I snapped a few pictures of our "beaver" and sent them to Sarah. She did some checking and informed me that we had a marmot in our yard. She even found a recording of a marmot "chirp". Yep, same crazy chirping. After our little marmot friend calmed down the loud chirping finally stopped. Then he just stared at us till I finally made the kids go inside so he could scamper on home. Ava went out later to check on him and he was no where to be found. She was a little disappointed, I think she was planning on keeping him as her pet.