Steam heat & Color TV

are the reasons Fred (mom's hubby) says we have critters. Some we want - some we don't want. He says "what do you expect, after all, you're offering everything including steam heat and color t.v." - and we all laugh.

Two nights ago, at exactly 1:16 AM, Steve and I were both suddenly awakened by a very loud scratching/gnawing noise. I swear, how a beaver got in our wall, we will never know. That's what it sounded like - but we realize its probably just a mouse (albeit a huge man-sized mouse with plate sized buck teeth).
If I haven't said it before, Steve is the greatest "trapper and carnage remover" around. So off he goes, in his jockey shorts and socks, wielding a huge halogen flashlight. (Maybe I should sew a super-hero cape for him to wear). We don't find anything that mid-night, but traps will go out tomorrow.
Last night, we retired very early (having finished to 3-ton rock project during the day), and were just settling in to read, when were heard THE TOADS!!! "You have GOT to be kidding me" were most of the words I said. Through an opened window to the calm evening, came this shrill blast. In June of last year, we caught 36 - yes, you read correctly - of these toads, and I nearly thought I would lose my mind. They come from under the deck, and "hooked up" at our pond (which is right outside our bedroom window). After the toads stopped screaming, and we got settled back in, and...guess what we hear? That's right! Johnny, tell the readers what they've won- Once Steve got a better idea of where the noise was coming from, he grabbed his "sack o' traps", the peanut butter, and was off like a flash! The only thing I said as I stumbled to the coffee pot this morning, was "how many did we get"? Unfortunately, I was told "0".
This city life is tough! But at least we got the first stage of our "new fence" project done. The rocks are all in place - next step is to trailer in 3-ton loads of topsoil. I like shoveling way better than carrying rocks. Here is some of one side of the rock wall. This area will be back filled with soil (and eventually mulch) to make raised beds. Unfortunately, you wont see most of the rock when the project is done.
I'll keep you posted about the "mouse hunt".