Good news on the vermin front--it seems we are are not trapping any more, so maybe the problem has been solved (fingers crossed!). And here's one last pic of Mousie posing by the tree right before Don released him.
Showing posts with label vermin. Show all posts
Showing posts with label vermin. Show all posts
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Artsy Snow
We had our first significant snow of the season yesterday so I headed out with my tripod to and get some artsy pics of the snow and lights around our house. Not too exciting, but kind of pretty!
Good news on the vermin front--it seems we are are not trapping any more, so maybe the problem has been solved (fingers crossed!). And here's one last pic of Mousie posing by the tree right before Don released him.
Good news on the vermin front--it seems we are are not trapping any more, so maybe the problem has been solved (fingers crossed!). And here's one last pic of Mousie posing by the tree right before Don released him. 
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Santa Confusion And A Vermin Update
I spent the majority of the day talking to contractors as they paraded through my house on a walk-through to bid on our impending remodeling. We are still in negotiations with Thurston Howell to buy his house, however, so there is still a chance that we will just move--but we continue to move forward with the construction project in the mean time.
It was sort of a tedious day as five different contractors and their crews came through taking notes and asking questions and making small talk.
But there was a moment of awkward hilarity when a plump, bearded contractor entered the kitchen to introduce himself. Pickle pointed right at him and said "Ho Ho!" (That's what she calls Santa.)
I don't think the guy picked up on what she was saying, but every few seconds during our conversation, she would shout "Ho Ho!"
In her defense--this guy totally looked like Santa! He had the exact body type and a good beard. She didn't seem to mind that he was wearing a sweatshirt and had a tape measure on his belt!
If this guy gets the job it will be Christmas every day for Pickle!
Speaking of Pickle and Santa--here is a silly little video Andy made of Pickle dancing with our giant singing Santa:
If you want to see a totally hilarious video--go check out the one Jenni Jiggety made. She has the same freaky Santa and her video had me laughing so hard! Oh, and she added this equally hilarious one yesterday!
In other news--we released the mouse! He seemed to be doing really well--eating, drinking and very active so Don took him outside on the opposite side of the house from where the vermin are getting in and we watched as he scurried away. Don told me to keep my "Mouse Hospital" open for business though, in case we get any more patients!
It was sort of a tedious day as five different contractors and their crews came through taking notes and asking questions and making small talk.
But there was a moment of awkward hilarity when a plump, bearded contractor entered the kitchen to introduce himself. Pickle pointed right at him and said "Ho Ho!" (That's what she calls Santa.)
I don't think the guy picked up on what she was saying, but every few seconds during our conversation, she would shout "Ho Ho!"
In her defense--this guy totally looked like Santa! He had the exact body type and a good beard. She didn't seem to mind that he was wearing a sweatshirt and had a tape measure on his belt!
If this guy gets the job it will be Christmas every day for Pickle!
Speaking of Pickle and Santa--here is a silly little video Andy made of Pickle dancing with our giant singing Santa:
If you want to see a totally hilarious video--go check out the one Jenni Jiggety made. She has the same freaky Santa and her video had me laughing so hard! Oh, and she added this equally hilarious one yesterday!
In other news--we released the mouse! He seemed to be doing really well--eating, drinking and very active so Don took him outside on the opposite side of the house from where the vermin are getting in and we watched as he scurried away. Don told me to keep my "Mouse Hospital" open for business though, in case we get any more patients!
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
More Mousecapades...
The vermin situation has reached a new low (or maybe high--depending on how you look at it?).
This morning I came downstairs to discover that Don had shirked his vermin-checking duties and left for work with the traps (that's traps plural.) and possible trapped vermin still in my kitchen cabinet.
Unfortunately, I heard some tell-tale clanking from the cabinet which made me think we had another half-caught vermin--which I can't deal with. I called Don in a panic and he said to get Teddy on the case.
I asked Teddy to check on the vermin situation and he reported that the the vermin appeared to be deceased in one trap and that the other trap was empty. I decided to wait for Don to come home to deal with it.
So I went on with my day--Target, present-wrapping, Starbucks drinking...
Later in the afternoon, I heard more verminous activity and I figured there was now a vermin in the other trap too. Since there was quite a lot of racket, Gooser and I decided to be brave and try to free the vermin.
Wearing one football glove and one gardening glove and armed with two pair of barbecue tongs, I approached the cabinet.
What I discovered was one unfortunate vermin caught in both traps at the same time. His foot was in one and sort of his face was in the other. I managed to pick up both traps with the tongs and, with Gooser's help as doorman, move the whole operation outside.
I released the vermin who seemed surprisingly healthy after his ordeal and we watched him scamper under the frozen grill.
After a little while, Gooser wanted to go out and see if he was still there and I found him huddled between the grill and a frozen basketball. It is frigid, frigid cold here and I was worried that maybe he was in shock or something after the double-trapping and would freeze to death.
So I did what any normal person would do--I brought him back inside, placed him in a wicker wastebasket and fed him a luncheon of Cheez-Its.
I hear you laughing! Why are you laughing? That's normal, isn't it?
Anyway, he is a temporary pet. It's not supposed to be nearly as cold tomorrow and I'm hoping he'll be sufficiently rested and ready to go out on his own. His face is a little messed up, but I think he's ok.
Gooser and I made this sign for his basket:
And here is mousie:
I figure any mouse tough enough to survive a double-trapping deserves a second chance!!
This morning I came downstairs to discover that Don had shirked his vermin-checking duties and left for work with the traps (that's traps plural.) and possible trapped vermin still in my kitchen cabinet.
Unfortunately, I heard some tell-tale clanking from the cabinet which made me think we had another half-caught vermin--which I can't deal with. I called Don in a panic and he said to get Teddy on the case.
I asked Teddy to check on the vermin situation and he reported that the the vermin appeared to be deceased in one trap and that the other trap was empty. I decided to wait for Don to come home to deal with it.
So I went on with my day--Target, present-wrapping, Starbucks drinking...
Later in the afternoon, I heard more verminous activity and I figured there was now a vermin in the other trap too. Since there was quite a lot of racket, Gooser and I decided to be brave and try to free the vermin.
Wearing one football glove and one gardening glove and armed with two pair of barbecue tongs, I approached the cabinet.
What I discovered was one unfortunate vermin caught in both traps at the same time. His foot was in one and sort of his face was in the other. I managed to pick up both traps with the tongs and, with Gooser's help as doorman, move the whole operation outside.
I released the vermin who seemed surprisingly healthy after his ordeal and we watched him scamper under the frozen grill.
After a little while, Gooser wanted to go out and see if he was still there and I found him huddled between the grill and a frozen basketball. It is frigid, frigid cold here and I was worried that maybe he was in shock or something after the double-trapping and would freeze to death.
So I did what any normal person would do--I brought him back inside, placed him in a wicker wastebasket and fed him a luncheon of Cheez-Its.
I hear you laughing! Why are you laughing? That's normal, isn't it?
Anyway, he is a temporary pet. It's not supposed to be nearly as cold tomorrow and I'm hoping he'll be sufficiently rested and ready to go out on his own. His face is a little messed up, but I think he's ok.
Gooser and I made this sign for his basket:
And here is mousie: I figure any mouse tough enough to survive a double-trapping deserves a second chance!!Monday, December 15, 2008
Vermin
We have a problem and it's vermin. More specifically--mice. But I prefer calling them vermin. Vermin is a word I can't seem to get enough of lately!
The problem is in our kitchen and seems to be contained to two lower cabinets that house things like a blender, food processor and some pots and pans. Luckily, no foodstuffs are in there--so I'm not totally clear on why the vermin want to hang out in there--maybe to get out of the cold?
In any case, the thing that clued me into the vermin was the tell-tale "droppings." Ew--just writing that makes me sick! I told Don to get these fancy-type traps I heard about that "hide" the deceased vermin (kind of a "Roach Motel" but for mice)--because I can't cope with actually seeing them. But he couldn't find those and had to settle for the gross-out kind.
Long story, short--we have caught five and a half vermin in six days.
The "half catch" went something like this:
It's late at night and I'm in the kitchen alone trying to to catch up on some blog-reading. Everyone has gone to bed and it's quiet.
Suddenly, I hear the vermin trap go off. Snap!
I freak out a little and have to suppress my immediate urge to try and save the vermin. I stand frozen--but I still hear clanking noises coming from the cabinet. This upsets me--aren't these traps supposed to be quick and painless? Why is the vermin still moving?
I write a note for Don to see in the morning so he can "take care" of the vermin. The cabinet is quiet now.
But a few minute later, the clanking start up again! What does this mean? I write another note to Don saying that I don't know or understand what the state of the vermin is.
For the next half-hour I hear continual noise from the cabinet. I write a third note stating that that the vermin is not deceased and warning Don that I don't know what could be going on in there.
The next morning I find Andy in the kitchen (he gets up early with Don and they watch "The Daily Joe" together) and ask him what happened with the vermin.
"It was intense!" he told me.
Apparently, only the vermin's foot had been caught in the trap, so Don attempted to pick up the trap with a pair of pinking shears so he could move the whole business outside. (Side note: Don was bitten by a mouse at a young age. The details are sketchy, but somehow he was holding a "wild mouse" and it bit him and then his parents had to "turn the mouse in" so it could be tested for rabies. He will "never hold a mouse again," he has vowed.) But the trap dropped to to the floor and the vermin started running around the kitchen, dragging the trap.
Then Don tried to use various spatulas and slotted spoons so he could get it outside and release it. After a few missteps where both Don and the mouse ended up in snow, the mouse was released.
Don said the mouse seemed "perfectly healthy."
Anyway, the vermin problem doesn't seem to be letting up, so I might have to call in the professionals. Any vermin advice would be greatly appreciated!
Oh, and here are my notes to Don--they're kind of funny!
Edited to add: OMG--on the blog I was just reading, the "Captcha" was verminn. No joke! Do you think they're trying to communicate with me from the Great Beyond??
The problem is in our kitchen and seems to be contained to two lower cabinets that house things like a blender, food processor and some pots and pans. Luckily, no foodstuffs are in there--so I'm not totally clear on why the vermin want to hang out in there--maybe to get out of the cold?
In any case, the thing that clued me into the vermin was the tell-tale "droppings." Ew--just writing that makes me sick! I told Don to get these fancy-type traps I heard about that "hide" the deceased vermin (kind of a "Roach Motel" but for mice)--because I can't cope with actually seeing them. But he couldn't find those and had to settle for the gross-out kind.
Long story, short--we have caught five and a half vermin in six days.
The "half catch" went something like this:
It's late at night and I'm in the kitchen alone trying to to catch up on some blog-reading. Everyone has gone to bed and it's quiet.
Suddenly, I hear the vermin trap go off. Snap!
I freak out a little and have to suppress my immediate urge to try and save the vermin. I stand frozen--but I still hear clanking noises coming from the cabinet. This upsets me--aren't these traps supposed to be quick and painless? Why is the vermin still moving?
I write a note for Don to see in the morning so he can "take care" of the vermin. The cabinet is quiet now.
But a few minute later, the clanking start up again! What does this mean? I write another note to Don saying that I don't know or understand what the state of the vermin is.
For the next half-hour I hear continual noise from the cabinet. I write a third note stating that that the vermin is not deceased and warning Don that I don't know what could be going on in there.
The next morning I find Andy in the kitchen (he gets up early with Don and they watch "The Daily Joe" together) and ask him what happened with the vermin.
"It was intense!" he told me.
Apparently, only the vermin's foot had been caught in the trap, so Don attempted to pick up the trap with a pair of pinking shears so he could move the whole business outside. (Side note: Don was bitten by a mouse at a young age. The details are sketchy, but somehow he was holding a "wild mouse" and it bit him and then his parents had to "turn the mouse in" so it could be tested for rabies. He will "never hold a mouse again," he has vowed.) But the trap dropped to to the floor and the vermin started running around the kitchen, dragging the trap.
Then Don tried to use various spatulas and slotted spoons so he could get it outside and release it. After a few missteps where both Don and the mouse ended up in snow, the mouse was released.
Don said the mouse seemed "perfectly healthy."
Anyway, the vermin problem doesn't seem to be letting up, so I might have to call in the professionals. Any vermin advice would be greatly appreciated!
Oh, and here are my notes to Don--they're kind of funny!
Edited to add: OMG--on the blog I was just reading, the "Captcha" was verminn. No joke! Do you think they're trying to communicate with me from the Great Beyond??
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