On Mon, 02 Dec 2013 16:00:13 -0800, Oren wrote:

Your gopher is not a tortoise

Let's hope it's not a fish because I was shocked that the two little
20x20 foot areas that I flooded each absorbed about 5,000 gallons of
water without even showing a drop at the surface!

The ground has an amazing capacity to soak up water! (Of course, it
has only rained once since about May.)

In California, when it rains, it pours; so I wonder how the gopher
keeps dry when it rains for a week?