Excerpts from a daily journal over the past couple weeks. Posted for those who have expressed concern over the squirrel that got into the house, as mentioned
on our podcast, Alive and Still Married.
Excerpts from a daily journal over the past couple weeks. Posted for those who have expressed concern over the squirrel that got into the house, as mentioned on our podcast, ‘Alive and Still Married.’
April 27
Oh yeah, we have a critter in the house somewhere. Robin had been hearing something moving around in the house, finding things knocked over, and knick knacks in the floor. I chalked it up to just typical noises from the wind, although the knocked over items from the shelves were hard to explain. It’s not an uncommon thing to have a neighborhood cat sneak in, but the door hasn’t been left open. There was definitely something going on in the furnace room last night though. Today, when I walked into the kitchen to plug in my iPhone, something jumped off the table, and dodged behind the washing machine area. It sounded to be the size of a small cat, or maybe a squirrel. Robin thinks it came in down the chimney, which has a hole near the bottom of it where the retro fitted modern furnaces use the original chimney for the old style coal furnace. She was going to see if the mayor could help, or get animal control in here.
April 28
After taking a break from yard work, and digging out tools downstairs, I came to the office to get in a litle reading and writing. Robin called out that she spotted the critter. A squirrel. Ha! I thought so. But there could be at least two of them.
May 01
We’ve been looking for live animal traps, but still nothing. The city doesn’t have anything like that, and animal control won’t bring any out without a deposit. Dave had the ones that were passed along to him by Robin’s mom, but he said that since Robin was going to be in Effingham for her doctor’s apppointment, and taking Chris shopping today, she could do it herself. Hmm… maybe he’d have more urgency if it were his house that was invaded. Chalk it up to busy schedules. That’s yet another day with squirrels in the house.
They’re not getting fed,or watered, and the poor things, as wild as they are, need to be outside. They don’t make much noise for the most part. But when we’re not particularly active downstairs, the one will get brave, and run around in front of you. They’re most active around the noon hour, so hopefully, if the traps don’t catch something this evening, by tomorrow, they’ll be trapped, and out. I’m mostly worried over the one in the furnace room. He doesn’t have access to food or water, like the one in the kitchen.
May 03
Still have squirrels. The kitchen one has had opportunity to keep himself fed, apparently well enough to not be so interested in the bait. By the time he gets set free, he’ll end up being too fat to climb a tree. The furnace room squirrel took the bait, and somehow managed to escape being caught in the trap. Robin hasn’t reset that one yet, so we’re waiting.
May 04
Squirrel report: They’re still here. Definitely 2 of them. They both are good at taking the bait, but not springing the traps. Or if they do, they can slip out in the cracks between the bars. Robin caught the one in the back in the cage again, but he squeezed out before she could do anything about it. What next? Smaller traps? Adjusting these traps? Poison? I’d rather see them set free, but it’s a tempting thought.
May 06
Squirrel update. Still have them. The one in the back got caught a couple times,, but keeps slipping out of the bars before Robin can move the trap. Kitchen squirrel seems to be good at not going for the bait. Probably due to him being surrounded by a kitchen full of food.
May 07
Squirrel report. Success, one squirrel got caught and released yesterday. Robin says he shot out of the trap, crashed into a railroad tie we use for landscaping, fell on his back, and layed there for a second or two. He got up and acted like he was drunk for a few steps, he shook it off, then raced off to his treetop home. The kitchen squirrel isn’t going for the bait. Robin is beginning to wonder if it was really just one squirrel the whole time. Tempting thought. Time will tell, along with the absence of daily squirrel poop.
More on the adventure to come.
Also check out:
Alive and Still Married 15 Our Top kid Moments.<
and
Alive and Still Married 16 The Importance of Trust
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