A mighty fortress. This one's for Rick.

The Rodents are at it again, now they are eating the potatoes.

I am NOT amused. The stinky spray made the rounds again, it seems to help a bit. It is also possible that they come and go for their own reasons, who knows. So far they have chewed through a few pole bean vines, but not done too much harm. Yet. The bush beans are looking fabulous and are just starting to bear. Please Great Vole and Gopher, have mercy!

Anyhow, in a desperate effort to have at least some places that are 100% secure I put hardware cloth underneath some of the 3 ft square boxes.  Here is one upside down acting as soil sifter. A stand-up one is coming. Then they are covered with the pop-up tent thingy from Lee Valley, that miraculously fits exactly over them!

There you have it, a mighty fortress.

And this doggerel popped up in my mind. I couldn't resist.

Rick (who made the boxes) is sure to know the melody.

A Mighty Fortress is our Box

Protection for the Garden

To gopher, squirrel, deer or fox *

It truly shows no pardon.

Voles burrow underneath

With eager chomping teeth

Their hunger is so dire

but all they taste is wire

Victory is the farmer's!

*Foxes are no problem, but find me another animal that has one syllable and rimes with box.

This, by the way, would be typical of the kind of rime presented at a traditional Dutch Sinterklaas.