A WILD EYE

It's a good thing that the Doubletree B&B has not had any overnight guests since August...'cuz they wouldn't like our green fog.

In the last five weeks, Mike has caused SIX of these olfactory offenders to assume room temperature.

Why?  Skunks carry rabies, they leave lingering aromas even when they've left the area, and they dig up landscaping.  That last reason was good enough for me.  They scratch around and upend plants as they search for grubs and insects.  That's irritating when you've just planted pansies that were not free.

The elimination process is unpleasant but also can be entertaining.  About 10:30, Mike exits the front door in his wedgewood blue pajamas, rubber boots, gun, and big honking spotlight.  He circles the house in the dark and begins to make a sneak on the bird feeder off the back deck.  That's where these skunks seemed to congregate for snacks.

Trust me, we never had the intent to bait a skunk.   Who knew they liked sunflower seeds?  Besides, how can we give up feeding our beautiful birds?

But back to Mike...he flanks the house, floods the area with light, and the gun blazes.  Then the hard work starts.  He runs FAST to get the square-edged shovel for the shovel-ready job and scoops up the carcass.  Then before the critter's muscles relax, he streaks out to the back corner of the lot where there is a proper repository.

Although on this particular night Mike was not in his pj's, try to imagine running in the rubber boots and holding Stinky out ahead of you.

Mike never was sprayed because just as they saw the light, it was over.  But they always got the final revenge.  I could be in the house when I heard the POW...and then the green fog came under the doorframe.  Eeewww.


Way out back, we have a dirt pile that has doubles as a cemetery.  When Mike went to bury the second skunk, he noticed something had partially dug up the first one.  My question was "Mike, we don't have bears around the house.  What could possibly be interested in a dead skunk?"  Think about that.  Who would want the gift that keeps giving?

We already had game cameras out on the bird feeder, so then we put them out in the far corner to see what came to the cemetery.  It's kinda fun to have eyes in the night.

Mike said a dog could have been curious...but here's the evidence that Mr. Curious is a raccoon.

The raccoon may use his little hands to take down the bird feeder and be a pest...but he isn't as obnoxious as the skunk.  So the raccoon is not on the "in-danger(d)"  list.

However, it IS a little creepy to find that there was a coon convention out on your patio and you never knew it.

Take note Mike has set a trap (on right) for the critter but obviously has the wrong bait.

Look how bodacious the deer are to come this close to the house at night.

Possum.

No one is falling for the bait in the trap.  I would; it's peanut butter.













We do not have the identity of this night prowler.  He looks like either a fox or a strange cat.  We are thinking it's a fox.

However, three feathers from a bird...plus the grain from inside his goozle...were at the top of the patio stairs yesterday.  So it might be a cat.

It's a jungle out there.

 Out close to the cemetery, the ringtail and deer co-exist.

These are daylight eyes, but our deer herd is pretty in the daylight.  The larger doe on the left has a splotchy coat because she is molting.  The smallest fawn was born in July and still has her spots.

This fellow with the wet fur was out in the afternoon after a nice rain.  

Groundhogs and armadillos are two other things we have out back.  Across the street from us, Dan has recently killed four armadillos because they have destroyed his flowerbeds.

Dan and Mike are like little boys.  I hear the pop and in seconds, an email comes "what'd ya get?"  They are competitive and blink flashlights across the dark street at one another.  It's them agin' the critters.

Look what motion set off the camera here.  I'd personally say the most exciting wildlife is the groundskeeper.  

Mike does his best thinking on that mower...and on a deer stand.  In both instances, he likes doing something and nothing at the same time.  Margin.  Can't do without it.

If anyone would like to book the upstairs bedroom at an exotic game preserve, just give us a call.