... Always have a can of wasp spray within easy reach when you're walking outside on your property. Not only does the wasp spray kill bees (sorry about that, I know they're necessary) and wasps and fire ants, but the spray also does wonders for small garden snakes that are hanging over a picket fence near your garage door.
I had just come out of the garage after feeding the two outside cats (who become garage cats when it's raining) and my eye caught sight of something on that picket fence... and there it was, a green and black-striped garden snake. I know they're harmless, and I know they're probably more afraid of me than I am of them (maybe, possibly) but I didn't want that snake on the fence so close to the side door of that garage. I had visions of the snake making his way up over the door and the next time I went to open that door I'd have a snake dropping on my head. (Let's not put that thought out into the universe. As it is, I don't go through any door without looking first to see what's up on the door frame.)
So how to get that snake off of the fence and away from the door..... all of the brooms and rakes were in the garage, and I didn't want to walk past the snake again to get something I could use to make him move away from that door. However... there was a can of wasp spray in the basket on the porch. I always leave a can out there, just in case bees (sorry again) and wasps get too close to the back door, which they always do.
I got the wasp spray, went back down the porch steps and took aim. Well, the snake was not at all happy. But I didn't stick around to watch his reactions... back up the porch steps I went and into the house... and when I came out a few hours later, the snake was gone. I've looked all over that particular flower bed every time I go out there, but I haven't seen the snake again, nor did I find his dead body.
I absolutely, positively hate hate hate hate with a passion all of the creatures, critters, insects, reptiles and everything else that flies, crawls, stalks or slithers on this property.
Monday, December 28, 2015
Friday, December 25, 2015
Meowy Christmas
It is five o'clock on Christmas morning as I type this. Savannah's barking woke me up and when I came downstairs I heard Mickey Kitty howling for all he was worth. I opened up the back door and saw not one but two cats sitting in the back courtyard just staring into the fenced-in coop, and there was Mickey... in the coop with his nose up against the fence and he was howling loud enough to wake up everyone in the hills here. Mickey is a very small cat and it made me laugh to see those loud sounds coming out of his tiny cat-self.
I took the flash-light and went outside and the gray/white stray who has been hanging around here ran off towards the barn, along with another cat. It was too dark in that part of the yard to see the coloring on that other cat. Just what we need on Christmas morning... not one stray, but two.
I thought that maybe if I walked Savannah up towards the barn, those stray cats would see there's a dog here and go find another place to live. No such luck. Savannah saw the two cats by the barn and she just looked at them and wagged her tail. I guess she's so used to our own cats that one or two more won't make much difference to her. The two cats just sat there by the barn and watched me and Savannah... and Savannah sat down in the grass and looked at the cats and wagged her tail. Give me a blessed break.
Christmas morning. I am not (NOT) going to feed those stray cats. I've learned my lesson with the orange/white stray that was here for over a year and didn't do anything but cause havoc with our own two outside cats and then bit and scratched both me and my husband.
How can I not feed those stray cats on Christmas morning?
I am not (NOT) going to feed those cats.
I took the flash-light and went outside and the gray/white stray who has been hanging around here ran off towards the barn, along with another cat. It was too dark in that part of the yard to see the coloring on that other cat. Just what we need on Christmas morning... not one stray, but two.
I thought that maybe if I walked Savannah up towards the barn, those stray cats would see there's a dog here and go find another place to live. No such luck. Savannah saw the two cats by the barn and she just looked at them and wagged her tail. I guess she's so used to our own cats that one or two more won't make much difference to her. The two cats just sat there by the barn and watched me and Savannah... and Savannah sat down in the grass and looked at the cats and wagged her tail. Give me a blessed break.
Christmas morning. I am not (NOT) going to feed those stray cats. I've learned my lesson with the orange/white stray that was here for over a year and didn't do anything but cause havoc with our own two outside cats and then bit and scratched both me and my husband.
How can I not feed those stray cats on Christmas morning?
I am not (NOT) going to feed those cats.
Sunday, December 20, 2015
Another stray cat...
...and that's that.
A few nights ago, we heard our outside cat Gatsby out on the porch just howling and meowing... the usual sounds that he makes when he sees a strange cat. My husband and I both went out to the porch and I saw a large gray/white cat running off towards the barn. Oh my... this is how it starts.
I brought Gatsby into the garage, and then took away the bowl of cat food that's on the porch for both Gatsby and Mickey. My husband asked me if I wanted to bring the food to the barn for the gray/white cat, and I reminded him about our year-long struggle with that blasted orange stray cat. No way did I want to get started with another stray cat who ends up tormenting our own cats and possibly us as well.
The gray/white cat is indeed hanging around our barn... I've seen him three times now, and other than the mice and birds he may be catching over there and in the pastures, I am not (NOT) feeding him, nor am I even acknowledging that he's there. I do not (NOT) want another cat, stray or otherwise.
In our famous last words concerning pets, "the inn is full." (FULL.)
That gray/white cat was awfully large... it must be a male. I'm praying that it isn't a pregnant female, and to that end, I've walked over to the barn every couple of days to make sure there isn't a gray/white momma cat and her kittens over there.
I haven't seen that gray/white cat now in three days. I hope to the heavens that it has moved on. And on. And then some.
A few nights ago, we heard our outside cat Gatsby out on the porch just howling and meowing... the usual sounds that he makes when he sees a strange cat. My husband and I both went out to the porch and I saw a large gray/white cat running off towards the barn. Oh my... this is how it starts.
I brought Gatsby into the garage, and then took away the bowl of cat food that's on the porch for both Gatsby and Mickey. My husband asked me if I wanted to bring the food to the barn for the gray/white cat, and I reminded him about our year-long struggle with that blasted orange stray cat. No way did I want to get started with another stray cat who ends up tormenting our own cats and possibly us as well.
The gray/white cat is indeed hanging around our barn... I've seen him three times now, and other than the mice and birds he may be catching over there and in the pastures, I am not (NOT) feeding him, nor am I even acknowledging that he's there. I do not (NOT) want another cat, stray or otherwise.
In our famous last words concerning pets, "the inn is full." (FULL.)
That gray/white cat was awfully large... it must be a male. I'm praying that it isn't a pregnant female, and to that end, I've walked over to the barn every couple of days to make sure there isn't a gray/white momma cat and her kittens over there.
I haven't seen that gray/white cat now in three days. I hope to the heavens that it has moved on. And on. And then some.
Sunday, December 13, 2015
Pouring rain and high winds...
For the past two days and nights, that's just what we've had here in the hills... buckets of rain tumbling down in all directions and winds so fierce that the sounds were similar to a freight train passing in the night.
There are ponds and creeks all over these properties and without a doubt, everyone's pond is now filled to the brim and then some. The creeks were rising during the worst of the rain and some of the roads and little bridges got a bit flooded and filled up like the lowest concrete highways of downtown Houston.
Our annual Christmas party was last night, and except for a few people who probably stayed home because of the weather, everyone else who was invited was not only here but on time, including friends from Clear Lake. Really amazing to us... we watched that rain pouring down and my husband and I both said that possibly no one would want to be out driving in such weather. Miraculously, twenty minutes before the party was to start, the rain let up and that's when friends and neighbors started to arrive.
The worst of the rain and the high winds didn't start up again till about an hour after the party ended, giving our nearby neighbors more than enough time to get home, and even our friends from Clear Lake were able to drive home without having to deal with flooded roads and lane-changing winds.
I fully expected to see ducks out in the ponds this morning, but I guess yesterday's rain and winds kept them away from the local ponds, unless they were already here to begin with. I did see lots of little green frogs today on the porch railings and on the windowsills. As I walked around the porch to check on the Christmas lights, the frogs just watched me, not willing to give up their dry spots underneath those railings.
The temperature during all the rainy days was up in the high 70s. With the dry weather coming in, the cooler temperatures followed and this morning had to be at least 15 degrees cooler. We've been lucky so far this 'winter,' with very warm temps and lots of sun, like a second-Spring. Is it too much to hope for that this second-Spring sticks around until the 'real' Spring comes around in March?
There are ponds and creeks all over these properties and without a doubt, everyone's pond is now filled to the brim and then some. The creeks were rising during the worst of the rain and some of the roads and little bridges got a bit flooded and filled up like the lowest concrete highways of downtown Houston.
Our annual Christmas party was last night, and except for a few people who probably stayed home because of the weather, everyone else who was invited was not only here but on time, including friends from Clear Lake. Really amazing to us... we watched that rain pouring down and my husband and I both said that possibly no one would want to be out driving in such weather. Miraculously, twenty minutes before the party was to start, the rain let up and that's when friends and neighbors started to arrive.
The worst of the rain and the high winds didn't start up again till about an hour after the party ended, giving our nearby neighbors more than enough time to get home, and even our friends from Clear Lake were able to drive home without having to deal with flooded roads and lane-changing winds.
I fully expected to see ducks out in the ponds this morning, but I guess yesterday's rain and winds kept them away from the local ponds, unless they were already here to begin with. I did see lots of little green frogs today on the porch railings and on the windowsills. As I walked around the porch to check on the Christmas lights, the frogs just watched me, not willing to give up their dry spots underneath those railings.
The temperature during all the rainy days was up in the high 70s. With the dry weather coming in, the cooler temperatures followed and this morning had to be at least 15 degrees cooler. We've been lucky so far this 'winter,' with very warm temps and lots of sun, like a second-Spring. Is it too much to hope for that this second-Spring sticks around until the 'real' Spring comes around in March?
Tuesday, December 8, 2015
Skunks happen.
Wonderful. There must be a skunk living in our barn. For the third night in a row now, I've seen a skunk coming out of our barn when I'm walking Savannah at night. Lucky me.
Savannah saw that skunk tonight as well, and she started growling under her breath as she lunged for it. Thankfully, I saw the skunk first and I was holding her leash extra tight so she wouldn't get away from me. Just what I need... a puppy getting sprayed by a skunk. And all that nonsense about tomato juice taking away the stink of a skunk is just that-- nonsense.
The skunk was just walking calmly out of the barn as if he owned it, and I guess, given the god-awful spray of a skunk, what other animal would want to argue with him about his residency in the barn? Actually, the skunk looked quite pretty with that long bushy tail... I was keeping an eye on that tail of his--- when the tail goes up, the spray comes out, but Savannah and I were far enough away from the skunk that I don't think the spray would have caught us... but I wouldn't have wanted to test that theory.
There have been mornings when I open the back door and I can smell the odor of a skunk, so I guess the skunk comes out of our barn, walks around our property and the surrounding ones, then goes back into hiding before the sun comes up.
So far in that barn, we've had armadillos, possums, foxes, raccoons, stray cats, countless birds, and now skunks. I should have a sign on the front of the barn that says "Welcome Wildlife and Assorted Creatures."
Savannah saw that skunk tonight as well, and she started growling under her breath as she lunged for it. Thankfully, I saw the skunk first and I was holding her leash extra tight so she wouldn't get away from me. Just what I need... a puppy getting sprayed by a skunk. And all that nonsense about tomato juice taking away the stink of a skunk is just that-- nonsense.
The skunk was just walking calmly out of the barn as if he owned it, and I guess, given the god-awful spray of a skunk, what other animal would want to argue with him about his residency in the barn? Actually, the skunk looked quite pretty with that long bushy tail... I was keeping an eye on that tail of his--- when the tail goes up, the spray comes out, but Savannah and I were far enough away from the skunk that I don't think the spray would have caught us... but I wouldn't have wanted to test that theory.
There have been mornings when I open the back door and I can smell the odor of a skunk, so I guess the skunk comes out of our barn, walks around our property and the surrounding ones, then goes back into hiding before the sun comes up.
So far in that barn, we've had armadillos, possums, foxes, raccoons, stray cats, countless birds, and now skunks. I should have a sign on the front of the barn that says "Welcome Wildlife and Assorted Creatures."
Tuesday, December 1, 2015
"The pig did it."
My husband and I were on our way home with our Christmas tree hanging out of the back of the car's trunk yesterday and we saw two dogs playing in the middle of the road. On a country two-lane highway, with the speed limit at 65, most of the cars we saw were driving either at or above that posted limit. We were driving slower because of the tree so it was easy to pull over right at the spot where the two dogs were.
There is a huge ranch on that particular road, complete with fancy stone fences and mega-bucks landscaping, and that property owner has scores of deer and elk and reindeer-like animals roaming on those countless acres. (Countless to us, but I'm sure that property owner knows his acreage down to the last millimeter.) That old song "....where the deer and the antelope play...." comes to mind when we pass that property.
The two dogs were clearly having a grand time on that road, running and jumping and nose-to-the-ground exploring. Which is fine, but not when you're in the middle of a road. My husband pulled over to the side, right in the driveway of The Ranch, and when he called the dogs over to him, both of them happily came... a black/white Border Collie and a brown/white Pit Bull. I was very leery of the Pit Bull, but she seemed as friendly as the male Border Collie. Both dogs were wearing collars and tags, and when the Border Collie calmed down a bit (he seemed happy to have found a person) my husband was able to read the number on his tag and use the cell phone to make the call.
The phone number went to a 'help desk' which had the dogs' information... they called the owner... the owner called my husband. She had been out looking for the dogs, couldn't find them, and had gone home to wait for them to hopefully find their way back. My husband told her he would keep the dogs with us, he explained exactly where we were on that road, and she said she'd be there in ten minutes. The Border Collie kept bringing rocks and sticks to my husband, waiting for him to throw them so they could be retrieved and brought back. Watching that black/white dog and my husband, I knew he was thinking of our old dog Gracie. (Same coloring, same intensity when playing with my husband.) We had gone to the health food store and had organic sourdough bread in the car, so my husband was rewarding the dogs' good behavior with bits of bread.
When the owner got out of her car, the Border Collie ran up to her and she said "If I wasn't so happy to see y'all, I'd be really mad at both of y'all." The dog's owner explained to us that they had a new baby in the house and she and her husband had taken the baby to the doctor's for a monthly check-up." When they got back to their property, the gate was open and the dogs were gone. They always close the gate, but they have a pet pig who has learned how to open up the gate, and does so frequently. For whatever reason, the dogs decided to go exploring, and off they went. The pig stayed right in the yard. We suggested to the lady that she get a pig-proof lock on her gate and we all laughed. She thanked us for stopping when we saw the dogs, for calling the number on the tags, and for keeping the dogs safe and off the road till she got there. We told her that both dogs really liked organic sourdough bread.
It was amazing to me that while we were parked off the road waiting with those dogs, plenty of cars just drove on by, none of them even slowing down when one of the dogs got too close to the road. This is supposed to be a dog-loving state. Those dogs were about ten miles away from their home, and in all of those ten miles, not one car stopped to get them away from the road? They clearly were not strays... they were healthy-looking and cared for, both wearing collars with tags.
Lessons learned..... those pet ID tags really work; Pit Bulls are only mean if they're trained to be because this particular Pit Bull was whimpering for her owner while the Border Collie was playing with my husband; pigs are smarter than you would think.
There is a huge ranch on that particular road, complete with fancy stone fences and mega-bucks landscaping, and that property owner has scores of deer and elk and reindeer-like animals roaming on those countless acres. (Countless to us, but I'm sure that property owner knows his acreage down to the last millimeter.) That old song "....where the deer and the antelope play...." comes to mind when we pass that property.
The two dogs were clearly having a grand time on that road, running and jumping and nose-to-the-ground exploring. Which is fine, but not when you're in the middle of a road. My husband pulled over to the side, right in the driveway of The Ranch, and when he called the dogs over to him, both of them happily came... a black/white Border Collie and a brown/white Pit Bull. I was very leery of the Pit Bull, but she seemed as friendly as the male Border Collie. Both dogs were wearing collars and tags, and when the Border Collie calmed down a bit (he seemed happy to have found a person) my husband was able to read the number on his tag and use the cell phone to make the call.
The phone number went to a 'help desk' which had the dogs' information... they called the owner... the owner called my husband. She had been out looking for the dogs, couldn't find them, and had gone home to wait for them to hopefully find their way back. My husband told her he would keep the dogs with us, he explained exactly where we were on that road, and she said she'd be there in ten minutes. The Border Collie kept bringing rocks and sticks to my husband, waiting for him to throw them so they could be retrieved and brought back. Watching that black/white dog and my husband, I knew he was thinking of our old dog Gracie. (Same coloring, same intensity when playing with my husband.) We had gone to the health food store and had organic sourdough bread in the car, so my husband was rewarding the dogs' good behavior with bits of bread.
When the owner got out of her car, the Border Collie ran up to her and she said "If I wasn't so happy to see y'all, I'd be really mad at both of y'all." The dog's owner explained to us that they had a new baby in the house and she and her husband had taken the baby to the doctor's for a monthly check-up." When they got back to their property, the gate was open and the dogs were gone. They always close the gate, but they have a pet pig who has learned how to open up the gate, and does so frequently. For whatever reason, the dogs decided to go exploring, and off they went. The pig stayed right in the yard. We suggested to the lady that she get a pig-proof lock on her gate and we all laughed. She thanked us for stopping when we saw the dogs, for calling the number on the tags, and for keeping the dogs safe and off the road till she got there. We told her that both dogs really liked organic sourdough bread.
It was amazing to me that while we were parked off the road waiting with those dogs, plenty of cars just drove on by, none of them even slowing down when one of the dogs got too close to the road. This is supposed to be a dog-loving state. Those dogs were about ten miles away from their home, and in all of those ten miles, not one car stopped to get them away from the road? They clearly were not strays... they were healthy-looking and cared for, both wearing collars with tags.
Lessons learned..... those pet ID tags really work; Pit Bulls are only mean if they're trained to be because this particular Pit Bull was whimpering for her owner while the Border Collie was playing with my husband; pigs are smarter than you would think.
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