A couple of weeks back, while experiencing bright sunny, very warm days, I felt that it was time to invest in more plants for my sandy-soiled garden and add them to my collection of those that are still holding on from last year.

Although, due to supply shortage in my favorite local nursery, the choices were limited.

So I ventured out to Marin county one weekend and google-mapped my way to a few nurseries, to see about their selection.

After hours, I managed to settle on seven or so potted plants. This is after consulting with an expert, who approved my selection, stating that they should grow and thrive in coastal soil. I say should, because she wasn’t that sure of herself, having never been to San Francisco, and in reality not really an expert, but merely a part-time employee of the shop. Nevertheless, I was fully invested in nurturing and conditioning those beautiful plants to become part of my blended garden family.

I brought them home, and lovingly set each pot in the very spot I imagined them taking root, and kept a watchful eye for a few days.

A week later, on a very warm Sunday morning, after sensing the plants were happy, I dug into the soil and arranged the plants. I added fertilizer as instructed on-the-online-how-to-guide and stood there while watering, happy as can be with my accomplishment.

That is until a few days later, while inspecting the state of my garden, I noticed a huge hole in the dirt. While I stood bewildered and even paralyzed staring at the hole, I saw a gofer sniffing about the opening. He stopped moving when he saw me, and we stood there making a daring eye-contact for what felt like ten minutes, and then he disappeared. I climbed the stairs and into the house and stood behind the garden door, with a bolder in the pit of my stomach.

This was not a good thing…I voiced inside my head, as I turned and climbed the stairs leading into the house and closed the door to the garden.

The next morning, I descended upon my garden hoping for the best, but instead discovered the wonderfully selected plants were no longer there. The gofer had won the dare…

Defeated and disheartened, I went back into the house, for although I do not kill living creatures, I knew I must retaliate in the gentlest way possible.

Stay tuned…