I left out some things in my last posting on Japanese beetles, emailers and people tell me. First a picture, in case you are not familiar with the beetles.

After several years of reduced activity by Japanese beetles, they seem to be back in profusion this year.

The woodchucks – there are more than one, I think – are back. I heard the telltale whistle woodchucks make when they sense danger when Nancy and I decided Sunday morning that the rains were not going to come, and the vegetables needed water. They must have heard me dragging the hose.

From Friday morning through Saturday evening, my woodchuck created three new holes and I covered four. He may have found the ground beneath my shed inhospitable, or he may just be worn out.

I'm about to cry. Just before coming in to work, I saw a new woodchuck hole underneath our garden shed. I ran to get what used kitty litter we had on hand, and saw the woodchuck scurrying to the hole as I approached.

The woodchuck has been missing for three weeks. I am afraid I may be jinxing myself and – as baseball players say – it's a long season and you take it day by day, but at least in May, I am ahead.