David Bindas Garden: The R.O.U.S.

[after Westley rescues her from the lightning quicksand]
Buttercup: We'll never succeed. We may as well die here.

Westley: No, no. We have already succeeded. I mean, what are the three terrors of the Fire Swamp? One, the flame spurt - no problem. There's a popping sound preceding each; we can avoid that. Two, the lightning sand, which you were clever enough to discover what that looks like, so in the future we can avoid that too.

Buttercup: Westley, what about the R.O.U.S.'s?

Westley: Rodents Of Unusual Size? I don't think they exist.
[Immediately, an R.O.U.S. attacks him]

~from The Princess Bride

"Holy cow, it's a R.O.U.S.!" said Mr. Red House, looking out the window.

The R.O.U.S.

We were in Massachusetts, a way-stop on our trek to Canada. Now, dear readers, I have lived in eight different states across the country and seen everything from moose in the back yard to tarantulas bigger than my hand inside the house, but I have never before seen quite a sight as this giant THING out in the yard. It was indeed a R.O.U.S.!

R.O.U.S stands for Rodent Of Unusual Size, for those of you who have never seen the classic and singularly fabulous movie The Princess Bride. Our Massachusetts Rodent Of Unusual Size was quickly waddling throughout the yard, gobbling up all the vegetation it could get it's little teeth on.

After a moment of stunned silence, my brain finally came up with the name 'Groundhog'. A quick Google check confirmed it - it was indeed a big, fat groundhog!