The Garden 2: Devastation

So…remember those lush photos of the garden from the last post?  I’m struggling to find the words that describe my reaction to the devastation that occurred when we  went away for the weekend.  As we left on Friday and I knew it would be hot and dry I was debating watering the garden again, tending to last minute plant support and weeding.  Hubby pulled me into the car and away to a cooler and much deserved weekend at the beach.  I felt like I was leaving a newborn baby.  I crossed my fingers that nothing would die,
be eaten, fall over, etc.  We came home early(er) on Sunday and as I walked to the garden to inspect I let out a screech of horror.

The squash leaves all eaten, many cucumber leaves eaten, green bean plants and leaves eaten, tops of carrots eaten.  “Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned” could be replaced by “hell hath no furn like a woman whose garden has been eaten”.  I immediately cursed the cute deer who come to visit in the winter.  Then I looked by the woods next to the garden and saw this:

Something was busy over the weekend cleaning out his hole.  Anger washed over me and I irrationally began to tend to the plants that survived (and didn’t really need tending).  Some research will need to be done and new plant defense strategies will have to be put in place.  Stay tuned, this drama has just begun.
How do you deal with pests in the garden?  How do you cope with the emotions?