War on wildlife

Don't get me wrong, I love wildlife.  It's one of the reasons we moved here.  We've been so happy to see deer almost daily, all kinds of crazy birds, butterflies, and so on.

But there are a few critters I could do without.

The racoons are one.

Never ever in all the years that we lived on the roof, did we ever have a problem with racoons and our garbage.

We've had more racoon-related incidents in the past 4 weeks than we did in the past 7 years.

The coons are out to get my garbage, and scatter it all over the driveway.  No matter what I do, bungie cords on the lids galore, and they still manage to get in.

The other day, Steve came face to face with a baby racoon who managed to get IN to the garbage can, but couldn't get out.  Yesterday I found all the garbage lying on the driveway in the morning, with the lid still on the can, and a tiny slit where they had managed to pry the lid open enough to get into the can, shred all the garbage, take as much of it out of the can as they could, and then get out again.

And then there is Chimpy.

Chimpy is what we've christened the cute little chipmunk that lives under our deck.  Or at least we thought that's where he lived.  Yesterday a friend was over and mentioned that he watched Chimpy go into a corner and then UNDER the cedar shingles that clad our house, and then UP. 

Where was he going?  I had no idea, but I didn't feel like getting into the corner at the time to investigate.

Until today, when I came home, and went into Corben's room to grab a fan, and caught a glimpse of something scurrying across the floor. 

Chimpy.

Chimpy in the front yard and under the deck is cute.  Chimpy in my 2 year old's bedroom?  Less cute. 

I don't know how he got in there, but you can bet your booty that I'll be investigating that corner this weekend, and filling up any holes in the floor and in the walls and in the anything else where there are holes!

I mean, I like wildlife enough, but I'd prefer it to remain OUTdoors.

That's all.

xoxox
Me