<p>To Mootmom .. my sincerest condolences on the loss of Eleanor. We too have kept rats over the years, as well as rabbits. Rats make much better pets - they are smarter and can be more affectionate. Bunnies are softer, though - if you can get one that will hold still and let you pet it. Our rats were Whiskers and Mousketeer and have long since departed this mortal coil. No more pet rats, though one winter there was an uninvited guest rat lurking about our kitchen, coming out only in the wee hours of the morning. I decided upon a humane trap to be baited with peanut butter (one of those cages with a trap door - with the idea being to catch the critter an then release it off in some wild place)... but the critter was too smart for me --the trap was empty and Ratty was never seen again.</p>
<p>The first house my wife and I owned was a small 850 square foot almost-a-shack-but-not-quite house in the woods of Northwestern New Jersey. One night we awoke to what sounded like a soccer game going on in the ceiling above our heads. Mice, maybe? We pounded on the ceiling and the noise stopped... for a few minutes. Then it was back to soccer.</p>
<p>The next day, we built a humane trap, baited it with peanut butter, and set it up in the attic. It wasn't long before we had our culprit. But when I looked in the trap, it was no ordinary mouse, but a brown and white Asia Mouse like ones sold in pet stores. Was this an escaped pet of the previous owner of our house? </p>
<p>I took it far into the woods and let it go. By the time I got back home, it also was back. I think it raced me and won. This was the first capture, but not the last. The capture/woods/race became a great game for the mouse. And the soccer game continued as a nightly affair. Finally, I crawled into the attic and worked my way over to the bedroom ceiling. And there was the soccer ball: a one-inch round mass of chewed up insulation and whatever else. That mouse WAS playing soccer every night!</p>
<p>Getting rid of the ball gave us a little more sleep, but I decided to really fix the problem once and for all. The plan was to find where he was getting into the house, play the capture game once more, but then block his entrance. I did find the opening (by watching him go back in), so I got a board and a hammer and some nails and was ready. I captured him again, then boarded up his door. I let him go in the woods once more, we had our race back and then he found that he was permanently evicted.</p>
<p>Now the darndest thing happened. The mouse - standing next to his blocked door - turned to me and started yelling at me ... cursing in mouse language. He looked right at me, knowing that I was the one that had evicted him and he gave me a piece of his mind that you would not believe.</p>
<p>But then he moved on...</p>
<p>Now I wish I had kept him as a pet. I developed quite a love/hate relationship with that little critter.</p>
<p>I sent your mouse story on to my sister and her husband. I sent them a cat from Cyprus to help her get rid of her Berkeley roof rats several years ago. He worked out for awhile until he aculturated to California lifestyle. He has since joined forces with the racoons, possums and rats to laze around on the back porch eating food and drinking water right along with the rest of the pack. They too trap them and take them for rides. I was horrified! I spent too many years on a farm. I would trap to kill. Or like what we do here, have sooo many cats that rats don't stand a chance. And the cats are good, no domestic furballs are they.</p>
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<p>H took S1 and roomie back to school last night -- apparently, some girls were headed back early -- and the house is getting back to normal this morning. But we had the nicest day yesterday when best friend from HS came over and we had a dinner of Thanksgiving leftovers with our two sons, roommate from college and buddy from HS. I love having lots of kids in the house (especially boys, with their wild sense of humor). It was great to hear the stories and reparte from the college guys, and how they included S2. The house needs some serious recovery work from the holiday, so I'll order a nice Mimosa and get right to work -- as soon as I've gotten caught up on CC!</p>
<p>I actually have so many critters around that I hardly think it makes sense to kill any of them -- there would just be others showing up in their place. I just don't want them inside the house - I've long since abandoned worrying about whether they are under the house or in the attic or garage. There was a huge noisy battle of something or other on my roof the other night - could have been racoons or ordinary housecats. Once I made sure that it wasn't my dog creating all the banging ruckus, I didn't worry about it. </p>
<p>The most constant presence - at least that I am aware of - is skunks. I can't imagine a winter without 'em. Needless to say, trapping a skunk would not be the best option. I read up on them and found they are nomadic - that is, if there is a skunk living under the house or some nearby burrow, it is going to stick around a few days or weeks, then go off on its own. Of course the problem is that if I am rid of one skunk, another will be coming by soon. They also apparently are pretty good at killing other pests - so that smelly skunk may actually be keeping the house clear of rats & mice. </p>
<p>I have also frequently seen racoons & possums in my yard -- I saw a fox when driving around my neighborhood a few weeks ago, and my son swears he saw a coyote a few weeks ago when walking the dog at night around our subdivision. I had my doubts until I read this article in Sunday's paper: <a href="http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2005/11/27/MNGKPFUQ851.DTL&hw=coyote&sn=001&sc=1000%5B/url%5D">http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2005/11/27/MNGKPFUQ851.DTL&hw=coyote&sn=001&sc=1000</a></p>
<p>Deer are also very common in the hillier areas. And every once in awhile someone spots a couger and warning notices are posted all around town. I've had neighbors keeping roosters and goats, too.... so even though I am definitely live in the burbs (lots of houses, small lots, near a big city) -- there is definitely an ability to commune with nature around here. Of course, when I lived dead center in the middle of San Francisco I also had a racoon problem -- once a racoon came into our house through a broken window and had an interesting standoff with my Rottweiler - lots of barking, hissing & snarling, but it ended up in a draw, no injuries to either beastie. </p>
<p>But I'm a softie for anything with fur. So I don't mind sharing space with the animals as long as they don't try coming indoors. I keep my dog inside at night because she can't seem to get it through her little head that the skunk will always win -- I keep materials for dog de-skunking on hand at all time as well. (one qt. hydrogen peroxide + one small box baking soda + on tsp. of dishwasher detergent) . Tuesdays are garbage night around here, and they also tend to be skunk night, as the skunks like to check out to see what is in the trash - so the trick is for me to make sure I take out the trash without accidentally letting the dog come out too. </p>
<p>Now the bugs are a different matter. We've got ants and flies and spiders, both benign & evil -- and I'll kill them all with impunity. I'd leave the daddy-long-legs alone, but my d. is terrified of them so to humor her I squash them too. My battles with ants are epic -- they are persistent things. Gone one day and back the next. </p>
<p>Oh we also have snakes around here - they are very polite and stay out of the way, but occasionally I find a garter snake basking on the hedge. Couldn't kill those even if I wanted to, because this is the habitat of the endangered San Francisco Garter snake - see <a href="http://www.montereybay.com/creagrus/CAsnakeSFGarter.html%5B/url%5D">http://www.montereybay.com/creagrus/CAsnakeSFGarter.html</a>
I think the snakes that live in my hedge are of the "Common" variety, but I wouldn't know how to tell the difference in any case, so I treat the crawly things with the respect that they are due. </p>
<p>I love living in California. I grew up in Texas amid rattlers and scorpions, and once found a tarantula in the bathroom -- so the wildlife around here seems quite friendly by comparison.</p>
<p>One of my S's friends at a nearby college has a roommate from Costa Rica who opened up her luggage and out ran... A SCORPION! (Yes, it was alive. But not for long.) Not exactly what I'd like to find running around my suite when I was barefoot...</p>
<p>pour me a big drink. Son drove my car into some bushes at a house in the neighborhood. He is fine. Car got towed but is probably fixable. But my nerves are shot.</p>
<p>For you, mom60, I think a bathtub full of gin might be in order. We have a couple of private spa rooms in this joint, but they're hidden away from the folks who like the seemy atmosphere. Still - sometimes they come in handy. For the folks whose kids have drivers' licenses. Or are trying... (slugg will probably join you).</p>
<p>mom60, I'm so glad your son is o.k. As someone once told me after a fender-bender, it's only property. But I understand about the nerves and I'll join you in the beverage of your choice -- S2 just finished driver's ed and is lobbying to get his permit. At least S1 is not allowed to have a car at college, so that's one less thing to worry about.</p>
<p>Been there done that, except in our case the bush was a Cadillac. SIGH...</p>
<p>$1200 later there was a fixed Cadillac, a bent fender on the Station Wagon, and (Thank God S1 hit a nice, understanding person, not a jerk) the insurance company had been deprived of another reason to raise our rates. </p>
<p>And to think he actually thought we were going to let him have a car in Los Angeles??!!! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!</p>
<p>mom60,</p>
<p>I'll pour you your drink of choice.</p>
<p>Glad that your son is ok. I remember when D was taking drivers ed and about 5 minutes into one of her lessons, someone broke an illegal u-turn right in the middle of 14th street (around union square) and hit the car she was driving in. Hopefully they do get better at this but it does not mean that we worry any less.</p>
<p>No, no, no! What are you all thinking? Mom60 gets the IV unit!!!</p>
<p>So mom60, what you need is extreme adrenalin reduction at this point. I recommend a Johnny Walker Black, IV style. But you get to choose.</p>
<p>Of course, there may be special benefits in the spa units. But I've never ventured back there....</p>
<p>mom60, I agree, scotch by IV. Sympathies!</p>
<p>I can relate! Son wants to drive here this Christmas...it is o.k. in California, but here!!!!!!! Accidents and creative driving are a way of life. And he had a close one this summer with me and Grandpa in the car in a place that follows rules...he was just somewhere else. Maybe here. Cheers!</p>
<p>Not ready to drink yet today, but it's only a matter of time... What I really want to know is, what was up with cell phones this past week/end? Among my S's friends, his gf lost her phone on a bus (the finder is sending it back), a friend lost his in a train station (but realized it in time to have someone call it and the finder was just down the hall), a HS friend lost hers in the airport (the finder refuses to speak English and will only give it back if a reward is paid), and another HS friend had his run over by a car. (I'm happy to report my S still has his phone and it is intact.) </p>
<p>Was it just students in the northeast, or did this happen everywhere?</p>
<p>Sorry to hear that Eleanor has gone to the other side of the Rainbow Bridge, Moot! Raising a glass of Benton Lane Pinot to your little, rat buddy...</p>
<p>Eleanor was a lovable rat,
Who ate cheese and wore a silly hat.<br>
She had long whiskers and a cute, furry nose;<br>
She's resting, now, in sweet rattie repose. </p>
<p>:::clink:::clink:::clink::::</p>
<p>Dig, I enjoyed your soccer mouse story. And, Calmom, thanks for all of the tips on dealing with wild neighbors (the non-human kind). We have roof rats, and my strategy is to block up all of their entrances with Brillo pads. They'll chew the plain steel wool, but they don't like the taste of Brillo pads. </p>
<p>I had a baby tarantula this Fall who seemed determined to drown himself in our pool. I fished him out 3 times and relocated him farther away each time. If it's possible to have a "cute" baby tarantula, this one qualified. </p>
<p>I'm less kind to ants, and I'll unleash Hell on termites, if I see any sign of them. Occasionally, we have to pay a professional to get under the house and put down termite bait. </p>
<p>We are used to seeing deer in the creek that runs through our backyard, but we're not used to cougar visitors. We're pretty sure that we had a visit from a young cougar who was hunting deer down in the creek, shortly after Halloween. There had been a sighting a couple of days before, and one night, H and I were on the couch on our porch drinking wine and making fun of Evilneighbors' garage addition when we both felt the hair rise on the back of our necks. We're used to noises from night animals, but this was a little too big for a skunk or a raccoon and not the same sound as a deer walking through dry leaf litter. I suggested that we get up and move our Happy Hour into the house, but before I could finish asking H for his help to bring in the wine and the quilt, I was looking at the equivalent of a swinging door and a poof of dust. Fine, let the lowly slugg get eaten by the cougar! :)</p>
<p>Well Mootmom, my daughter went out with friends who were home from college for the TG weekend on Friday night and one of them managed to drop her cell phone into a glass of water. She spent $150 on an upgrade/replacement....
Aaargh.</p>
<p>This happened in here on the West coast, so it's not an East coast thing. I think maybe the kid with the slippery fingers might have been drinking something other than water at the time.</p>
<p>Mom60, there is a special booth for parents of teen drivers. We call it The Spa because it's closest to the swamp cooler. Every half hour, you'll get sprayed with a liquid of unknown origin. We call that a "hydration treatment." Do-it-yourself mud wraps are available in the parking lot, and if you order enough margaritas, you can scrub your face with the salt. Hair removal is not on the menu, as this tends to happen naturally to parents of teen drivers. </p>
<p>It's crowded, but there's always room for one more. :p</p>
<p>Thank you all. I will need to be spending lots of time in the spa. Son's brilliant idea last night was that I should just buy a new car and sell the old one without fixing it since it is old anyway. His rationale is also that his insurance rate will go up and why report it. Anyone want a 8 year old minivan with a smashed front end and broken radiator.
We still haven't heard from the owners of the nice landscaping. It was one of those really nice houses that it looks like some rich person's 2nd home.
I did finally pick up the rental car so said son should not have to wait after school for his mother to be taxied around by older teenage driver the college freshman. The insurance company felt some pity and did upgrade my car rental allowance so I am now the proud driver of a Ford Escape instead of the Dodge Neon.
I like my margarita's on the rocks no salt please</p>
<p>hey sluggbugg, what happened at your TG dinner?!</p>