While most people were focused on the potentially devastating possibility of an economic calamity deriving from the US government's inability to end its shutdown – we were more concerned about gardening.
You see, the shutdown affected nearly all federal services across the US and this included the gardens and lawns of the White House, according to Reuters.
Maintenance staff were only allowed to water the lawns and the famous front garden of the landmark was left uncut for days.
But it wasn't just grass that suffered and it seems organic vegetables that were ripe and ready for the dinner table have been ruined – as photos released by the Obamafoodarama blog show.
With no workers on hand to pick the fruit and vegetables it was up to local wildlife to indulge on the presidential grub and a photo shows a squirrel munching on a cherry tomato that was clearly meant for Obama.
We're not sure if the squirrel will be charged with a federal offence, but with weeds springing back up across the property, it seems gardeners returning from the shutdown will have a hefty task on their hands in the coming days.
