Back to the Garden

First off, happy Memorial Day to everyone out there. I hope everyone is taking a moment to remember what this day off is really for, amongst the shopping and the BBQing.

Chris came home this weekend, but he had to leave Sunday evening. One thing I was excited to show him when he got home was how the veggie garden I planted was doing. I've never tried a garden before, so I'm a bit unexperienced. But, things are growing, which is the goal, right?

I planted carrots:

Squash:



Tomatoes:

Basil:

Spinach:

And lettuce...

Well, there used to be a lovely-looking young head of lettuce there.  two days ago I got to show Chris how proud I was of my lettuce. Then yesterday, when I went out ot water the garden, it was gone. Frowny face. The thing is, I have a fence around the garden:

So, I thought that maybe the many birds in our backyard were rooting around in there, or that maybe there was a mole in the garden or something. But, today, I think I may have found the culprit:

So, my question to those of you with green thumbs is this: Could this guy have gotten under my fence and then back out without really bending it at all or anything? Would he have gotten in there, eaten the lettuce, and then left everything else there? If not, what else could be cherry-picking my lettuce? What can I do to keep my plants safe without putting poison on them?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated! It's so rewarding to watch these little soon-to-be-veggies grow!