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Post by Kensterberg on Jun 27, 2007 11:53:50 GMT -5
RD -- you need a feral/hunting cat, or a really determined dog to take care of that varmint.
In lieu of those options, or if you don't want to see Wild Kingdom played out in your backyard, get an exterminator. Money well spent, unless you don't mind trapping the skunk and triggering his defense mechanism ... in which case you may find yourself sleeping under the shed!
In other news, last night I had to remove a toad from my living room. A fucking toad! In the middle of the desert. We're living in the end times, I tell ya ... dogs and cats living together ... sheesh ...
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Post by RocDoc on Jun 27, 2007 12:44:48 GMT -5
Of course that dog's going to be one STINKY MFin' dog after all's said and done...
Nonono, I've already been warned WAY off of trapping him myself...or of even have a pro do it, because it's pretty much ineveitable that the skunk's gonna freak and spray til he's got no more.....that smell will penetrate into even the most closed-up house like ours is right now in defense of Chicago's current uncomfortable-as-fuck 90º temps and BIG humidity.
That shed of ours is like 15-20 feet away from our house and we've already had one night of stink, last week, on a nice cool night when the windows were open. Apparently something spooked the animal into spraying nearby. Ugh.
First, I'm trying to make it as inhospitable as possible for a time (like for about a week till he/she gives up on it), filling in then covering the holes with 12 X 2 planks....flooding the damned holes....but I'm also going to try this ammonia thing I read about this morning.
Fuck it, I'll make him someone else's problem.
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Post by strat-0 on Jun 27, 2007 13:18:46 GMT -5
I've never had to try to deal with a skunk, Doc, but it sounds like you're on the right track. I'd probably do as Ken suggests and call in a pro if your efforts to discourage don't work. I've only smelled them from afar and can only imagine what a good dosing would be like. Yikes!
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Post by RocDoc on Jun 27, 2007 22:08:30 GMT -5
Holy shit!
I just saw SIX of them go back into their re-excavated hole...nonono, this is too fucking much!
They were all little ones, near as my 'expert' eye could tell....looking like they were catching a whiff of fresh air (and what does THAT mean to a friggin'skunk? I mean, come ON!) and waiting for their Momma to come home.....
SIX??!
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Post by RocDoc on Jun 27, 2007 22:09:26 GMT -5
...then plus Momma is SEVEN!
Call Guinness someone!
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Post by strat-0 on Jul 9, 2007 21:41:33 GMT -5
Here's what you need, Doc! (at least for the little ones) We were sitting out on the deck this very evening when the barred owl you see here came through. First it landed in a mulberry tree west of the house:  KayJay ran in to get the camera while I kept my eye on him/her. I got a few shots in, but the blue jays spotted him and started a ruckus, so he flew off to the front of the house and lit in a maple tree in my front yard. He wasn't much put off by me, but those shit-eatin' jays were giving him all kinds of hell, so he finally flew off, after a while. I wanted so much to get a shot of him on the wing! But I couldn't get it.     |
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Post by strat-0 on Jul 9, 2007 22:05:29 GMT -5
These are fresh photons from today, btw.
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Post by strat-0 on Jul 23, 2007 19:29:04 GMT -5
This weekend's main project was to cut down a large-ish hickory tree on the back hill. It was leaning in a funny direction and crowded out by some other, larger hickories, so I decided it was a good prospect to cull and use for firewood. It was about 90 feet tall, but only about nine inches in diameter. Beauty of it is that the way those trees on the hillside and down by the creek compete, they're straight trunk all the way up to the last little bit where they put on a modest canopy, so it's perfect firewood. You hardly have to buck much off them. This one was 'firewood' for the first 70 ft. Good mocker nut hickory, too! I thought it would be a piece of cake, but as usual, "nothin' is easy"! It's right on the steep part of the hill - like a 40 degree angle there, so working with the chainsaw is a little tricky! I've had some practice, what with the tree stairs, but it sure turned out to be some work! Felling the tree wasn't too bad, but of course that's just the beginning! After I got the tree down and clear from the stump, I hopped up on it and said to KayJay, "And the Devil jumped up on a hickory stump and said, 'Boy, let me tell you what!'" (A reference to the campy Charlie Daniels song with the old Faustian theme, "The Devil Went Down to Georgia," just in case you missed it. It's pretty cheesy.) We used the Sleeper's 340 horses for assistance in effortlessly dragging the trunk sections up the hill, but it was still a hell of a lot of work, bucking it (on the far side of the creek) and getting it cut into manageable-sized pieces. I've still got to cut the trunk sections into fire logs, but that's the gravy work! I've got them up in the side yard now. I've really come to appreciate level ground! At least splitting the logs is optional or unnecessary for this one. That's good! Damn, but that wore us out! Wish I was young again!  |
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Post by ScottsyII on Jul 28, 2007 22:52:06 GMT -5
I like where I am living right now! Our (Mine and Mellie's apartment) is in a nice building, with eight apartments in total, although it is part of a larger complex with similarly sized buildings. There are some interesting characters that populate the apartment complex up and down our street, but the people that adjoin our corridor are all really great! Most night we all sit outside and watch our kids play at the playground on the end of the parking lot, and we have nice conversations and get to unwind and relax - all of us having kids is great too, because we can kinda mix and match and entertain each others kids, allow our kids to visit other people's houses etc. Its a great lifestyle here, the rent isn't super expensive and we are reallyt comfy in our little 3 bedroom apartment, scattered with baby things, of course... hehehehehehe!!!
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Post by maarts on Jul 29, 2007 0:33:40 GMT -5
I'm living the Australian dream- two bedroom house (well, one large bedroom and one music & DVD-room, to be honest) located in a quiet cul-de-sac in Sydney's inner West, with front and back yard with barbecue, small kitchen and fifties-style bathroom (old tiling). Really like this place!
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Post by strat-0 on Jul 29, 2007 17:44:51 GMT -5
Sounds nice, Scottsy - very 'Pleasant Valley Sunday.' You too, Maarts. Didn't you just move into that house recently?
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Post by ScottsyII on Jul 29, 2007 22:45:12 GMT -5
Hehehehehehe - there are some interestingly wild folks living about our area, but none close to us thankfully! Our little pad is nicely set up inside too - with a big screen TV, our surround sound system and a cosy little living room couch - watching movies and TV is a pleasure!
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Post by maarts on Jul 30, 2007 5:55:19 GMT -5
Same here- big fookin' flatscreen for the footie and a big fookin' flatscreen for the computer!
Yeah, I moved here in October last year! And still have all my CDs in boxes! Lazy git that I am....
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Post by bowiglou on Jul 30, 2007 12:33:36 GMT -5
keeping in in mind this is one of those hallmark type cards, but I live in Point Loma of which on a clear day you can indeed see Downtown.....  and I live near Sunset Cliffs  |
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Post by strat-0 on Jul 31, 2007 19:50:58 GMT -5
That's beautiful, Bow! Any stretches of beach there or all rock?
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