My Mexican Pet

If you live on the West Coast, more than likely someone you know will have traveled to Mexico during the last year. When they come back they will usually come back with some sort of trinket for you. Just about everywhere I go I notice that people have the little colorful carved wood trinkets like in the photo above. I have been given my share over my years here.

By the way, I said West Coast because I found that most people on the East Coast go South in the winter, not Southwest. They have their own trinkets back there.

A few years ago someone brought me a new brightly painted wooden figurine from Mexico. I placed it in a place of honor, but after a couple of days I noticed that there was a tiny pile of saw dust around the base. Every morning there was a fresh pile of sawdust which I would sweep away. I told others about it and I got all sorts of suggestions. One person said to put it in the microwave, but I didn’t want to kill whatever was in there. I was fascinated by it and I wanted to see how it would go on.

Over the following months the creature bored several other holes in which it dumped a steady stream of sawdust, but one day it ended. It took about six months for the little creature to complete its life span. I was hoping it left behind some hatchlings, but after a year had passed I knew nothing was ever going to enjoy the tunnels again.