Is It Stuffed?

There was one last stop I wanted to make before getting to our cabin. It was a trivial thing, but I thought the girls would enjoy it. As we got off the interstate ramp, I tried to explain to the girls what we were going to see.

Sure enough, even before we passed into the Greycliff Prairie Dog Town State Park, there was a fuzzy little critter standing tall like the sentry that it was. I rolled the windows down and told the girls to listen. All they heard was a few clicks, chips and chirps. The Judge said, “What is it?” “It’s a prairie dog.” She was surprised, and I was even more surprised when she said she was looking for a dog of some kind. Others joined the chorus as they signaled warnings to the town of prairie dogs that strangers were in their territory.

Just when I thought they understood, we saw an especially chubby guy standing atop a mound. It didn’t even twitch. The Judge said, “Is it stuffed?”

“Yep. It’s a statue. They put it there so people will know what a prairie dog looks like.” Right on cue, the fuzzy guy looked at us then disappeared in his hole.

We shared a great time of laughter more than once on her account.

If you’re ever in Greycliff, Montana, it’s worth a stop at the 98-acre Greycliff Prairie Dog Town State Park. The preserve for the black-tailed prairie dogs is full of holes, mounds and a tribe of prairie dogs. You might be a bit intrigued but some of the locals who find them a nuisance may not share your opinion.