Groundhog Goes to Work

Photograph by Brandon T. Bisceglia.

There is a fenced-in gulley where I work that runs parallel to the parking spaces. This morning, I heard a shuffling noise on one side of my car. I turned the corner and came face-to-face with a groundhog who gave me a curious look and scurried down the embankment.

While the groundhog attempted to bury itself in the brush, I retrieved my camera and crouched to take a picture from afar. By the time I had adjusted the zoom, however, the furry interloper apparently changed its mind about hanging around. Instead, it began heading along the bottom of the gully back toward me.

I thought I was going to lose the shot entirely. Then, just as the groundhog got to the area in front of my car, it rose up on its hind legs and stared me directly in the lens – just long enough for this portrait.

I did not have the chance to ask the groundhog if it was there to apply for a job.