Voles? Animal hoof? NJ sinkhole? What’s this in my yard!?

Help me solve a meaningless little mystery.

Yesterday morning I was out back with my dog and all was normal. Well, as normal as things ever get in my household. Then today while out back with my dog I came across this.

Jeff Deminski photo

My first thought was “problem.” But what problem? The yard had voles at one point but with the help of pest control, that problem was fixed.

And I never saw an entry hole like this when those tunneling little bastards were here. But are they back? Is that the beginnings of a tunnel?

It just seems to stop. So I don’t think so.

I do live near woods. Could this be a huge buck that stomped its hoof into my yard over some perceived transgression?

I’m no animal tracker. I just don’t know.

Then I had a truly insane thought. I mean ridiculously insane. My morning school drop-off for my 5-year-old always took me onto 78 East until that sinkhole showed up on the entrance ramp’s right lane and shoulder. It’s been an engineering nightmare as the Department of Transportation has been coming up with a way to fix the problem. Meanwhile, it’s added plenty more minutes to people’s commutes.

This has been happening lately. Just Monday a sinkhole appeared on US 30 westbound in Stratford. Crews have been working for weeks to repair a sink hole that closed the ramp from Pleasant Valley Way/CR 636 to I-280 eastbound.

They can become huge in a hurry. Just look at the size of this one.

I just found this in my yard this morning. Now am I going to come home to find half the yard missing? Yes, I realize that’s very far-fetched.

But then what the hell IS this thing?

I’m sure it’s a big nothing. But a sinkhole would be so on-brand at this point in my life.

Opinions expressed in the post above are those of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Jeff Deminski only.

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