It's a War Out There!
The past month or two of winter took its toll on the summer house since my last visit. There was a great deal of water inside the house after the previous night's storm. Looking for the reason, I climbed the roof to learn that an animal had been clawing at the roof vent, ripping it open. I have no way to know if the mess of shingles a few feet away relates somehow to an animal looking for a sheltered place to live inside the roof, but the leak inside the dining room was the worst it has ever been.
I was up on the roof to begin the bee eviction process. There is no secret life for them anyone. I spray poison into the nest next to the chimney, knowing the hive is not accessible yet, just the entrance to it. I think it will take several assaults upon the hive to be rid of the problem. They've been there several times over the years and it must be a preferred piece of real estate. In a few days I will go back to see what I need to do next. The shingles just deteriorate underfoot when I walk on it and I am afraid I may fall through the roof if I am not extremely careful. We cannot hire a roofer to come and repair things until we sell our house in New York. Our finances and much else remain stalled as they have been for a year. Meanwhile, the roof rots, the taxes have yet to be paid. It is so very much the time for change! I cannot wait to say "GO!" on many projects now stalled. I saw cousin Jeff crossing the field above us and waved. One of Jeff's dogs got into it with a racoon, hiding in the stonewall. I saw the bundle of nastiness scuttle across the road, growling. It is an odd thing to see in the middle of the afternoon, and it usually indicates a sick or rabid animal, especially since racoons are nocturnal. I clobbered it with a stick, killing it. The blunt and violent act that made me feel a bit ashamed, but there was a purpose to it. I was glad to find no foaming at the mouth, leaving the carcass there for the crows. One thing is certain, we don't need another racoon on the premises. They can be devastating in an empty summer house. Perhaps this animal or one of its relatives was the one ripping the roof open? Is a vaccinated dog immune from getting rabies when bitten by a rabid animal? I hope so! There were a number of mouse nests in the garage, but the baits in the house appear untouched in several places I would have expected to find more rodent activity. Left to there own devices they make such a mess and are so destructive. We will connect the water in a few weeks and pull things together for the summer. A good vaccuuming and a scrubbing, and carpentering. The waves from the previous night's storm were tremendous, coming directly from the south, uninterrupted on their way up North from Bermuda. Here in this house below the hill above the sea, we are particularly in the combat zone between man and nature. there's a war going on out there.
I was up on the roof to begin the bee eviction process. There is no secret life for them anyone. I spray poison into the nest next to the chimney, knowing the hive is not accessible yet, just the entrance to it. I think it will take several assaults upon the hive to be rid of the problem. They've been there several times over the years and it must be a preferred piece of real estate. In a few days I will go back to see what I need to do next. The shingles just deteriorate underfoot when I walk on it and I am afraid I may fall through the roof if I am not extremely careful. We cannot hire a roofer to come and repair things until we sell our house in New York. Our finances and much else remain stalled as they have been for a year. Meanwhile, the roof rots, the taxes have yet to be paid. It is so very much the time for change! I cannot wait to say "GO!" on many projects now stalled. I saw cousin Jeff crossing the field above us and waved. One of Jeff's dogs got into it with a racoon, hiding in the stonewall. I saw the bundle of nastiness scuttle across the road, growling. It is an odd thing to see in the middle of the afternoon, and it usually indicates a sick or rabid animal, especially since racoons are nocturnal. I clobbered it with a stick, killing it. The blunt and violent act that made me feel a bit ashamed, but there was a purpose to it. I was glad to find no foaming at the mouth, leaving the carcass there for the crows. One thing is certain, we don't need another racoon on the premises. They can be devastating in an empty summer house. Perhaps this animal or one of its relatives was the one ripping the roof open? Is a vaccinated dog immune from getting rabies when bitten by a rabid animal? I hope so! There were a number of mouse nests in the garage, but the baits in the house appear untouched in several places I would have expected to find more rodent activity. Left to there own devices they make such a mess and are so destructive. We will connect the water in a few weeks and pull things together for the summer. A good vaccuuming and a scrubbing, and carpentering. The waves from the previous night's storm were tremendous, coming directly from the south, uninterrupted on their way up North from Bermuda. Here in this house below the hill above the sea, we are particularly in the combat zone between man and nature. there's a war going on out there.
posted by Stonechuck at 10:46 AM
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