The Old Folks Home

[Wisher1000]

Sorry, guys, it's been a long day.....

 

[Arielle]

Quote: You are right ROn, we tend to live and let live. We've lived long enough to be understanding, even if we dont agree. Age has it's benefits!!

 

[Arielle]

There is a lot of wildlife here. I trapped a bobcat in one of my Have-A-Heart traps about 2 years ago.

Funny story... I was on call the night I put the trap out and I was called at least twice an hour and was therefore up most of the night with a couple of mini-naps. I was beyond exhausted. I had to get up in the morning to go back to regular work, and after I took a shower and got dressed I lurched my way to the living room and looked out the front windows and noticed my trap was sprung and something was in it.

At this point BF was also up, and was wearing the emperors new clothes.

An aside: the day before I had caught the neighbor's cat in my trap while I was at work.

I went out the front door, cautiously up to the trap, and saw it was a really angry cat.

The trap was shaking.

I'm mentally a wet noodle, and start talking to the really angry, large, housecat. Put my hands in the trap to open it up, and this giant cat flies out and runs across the lawn. I reset the trap and lurch back into the house.

BF is standing there, had been watching me out the window, paralyzed in fear. He looks at me and says "You do know that was a bobcat, right?"

And so I argued with him that it was just a large housecat, until google solved our argument.

The joys of living in the country. He hasn't let me live that one down and likes to tell it from his perspective... that he couldn't stop watching but couldn't go outside to warn me because of his attire... or lack thereof.

Does the emperor now wear appropriate pj's just in case another emergency arises??

 

[Bitterroot]

It sounds to me like the officer/deputy responded and took care of your "problem," -- yet still was the target of donut jokes and plans to cause him problems in the future....

unbelieveable

I don't think some people understand how difficult an LEO job can be. You're expected to be everywhere at once, and you're only human, doing the best you can with the tools you have available to you. I'm choosing to believe most of that was just an attempt at humor.

Hope everyone's having a beautiful day. Despite the cold snap after we thought spring had arrived, I was mowing that lawn today come hell or high water. Hubby sat on the porch laughing as I battled 20mpg wind gusts.

But I got 'er done.

 

[Arielle]

Quote:

Long time ago I worked at a zoo, IN MAINE, and met a lovely couple that raised big cats. . Purchased as day olds, they became part of the family and walked on leashes. I never could walk close to one--the wild instincts are forever in place. BUt I sure marveled at the time spent training those cats for big time entertainment like in Las Vegas. A full sized tiger is very impressive. A young leopard laying across the man's shoulders was very endearing. THey truely loved their cats.

 

[superchemicalgirl]

I turned the dog loose and The Night of the Coon began.

SCG, do you have water in that bucket? You are supposed to put more water in it for the rats, or they can jump out. I thought that picture of the rat, was him/her, standing on the can. I was thinking..what? That is supposed to spin around. But I take it he was sitting on the wire? Ron is right, tonight!

Yes, water about 1/3 of the way up. The thing on the top is a soda can, that is shish-kabobed to spin. Looks like I have to rebait it tonight because the ducks licked all the peanut butter off. Who knew ducks liked peanut butter?

Well, I am officially bummed.

Some friends of mine lost a miniature horse a week ago. She'd colicked almost a week previously, had seemed to have recovered, then a few days later developed other symptoms and was transported to the Vet school in Raleigh. Sadly, she passed away without them figuring out what was going on, and the necropsy was inconclusive.

I've just learned that they lost a second mini a couple of days ago. This one went from acting perfectly normal to dead in about 24 hours. They are thinking now that it looks like some kind of poisoning, possibly a toxic plant; they are watching their remaining mini very closely. The one they have left has had an ongoing problem with locking stifles; they have a farrier that comes about once a month to put glue-on shoes on his back feet to help his stride. They only got these minis about 6 months ago; they've had more than their share of frustration and heartache in a short time.

Wow I hope they find out what it is. Poisoning sounds likely. Something just start blooming?

It sounds to me like the officer/deputy responded and took care of your "problem," -- yet still was the target of donut jokes and plans to cause him problems in the future....

unbelieveable

Does the emperor now wear appropriate pj's just in case another emergency arises??

Absolutely not... we're the odd couple. In winter when we go to bed I'm in sweatpants, huge woolen socks (with my sweatpants tucked into them), a shirt, hoodie with hood up and gloves... and he's uhm... *cough*

The sad part is, he's still warmer than I am. He's convinced I'm part reptile.

 

[sourland]

SCG - bedtime apparel sounds like the same as at the Sourland's. I always figured that the Princess had a faulty thermostat. Possible reptilian? - I'll have to think about that possibility.

 

[Bunnylady]

Oopsies.

Chickies-duckies-etc, did you know that our OP is a LEO? She's understandably sensitive about seeing her fellow officers being knocked, and her sense of humor has been worn pretty thin on the subject of doughnut jokes (and no, Wisher, that was not meant to be a fat joke).

I'm sure that it was pretty upsetting for you to sit up all night for someone who you were told would "be right there." But having seen the chaos that tornadoes make of communities (power knocked out, debris everywhere, possible live wires down and upset/terrified/confused/injured residents that won't listen to reason), I can see why having the most manpower possible keeping watch in the nearby community would be more important to the sheriff's department than hunting around in the dark for an injured, possibly sick raccoon. They probably figured that you were behaving like a reasonable and rational human being, and staying in the house (maybe were even in bed, asleep), and didn't want to scare you by poking around your place during a time of night when some of the people I know wouldn't answer the door without a gun in hand. If you lived around here, Animal Control wouldn't have been of much help to you, even if it wasn't a day off. They would have asked if anyone had been bitten, if the answer was "no," they'd have advised you to keep your animals away from the raccoon or deal with it yourself.

SCG, the likeliest candidate right now looks like Wild Cherry, which is leafing out right now. I haven't looked their property over, but that and Red Maple are very common around here. Both are toxic to horses; I seem to remember reading a post once from someone who had miniature horses that were getting poisoned by the stump of a Wild Cherry that was in their pasture (it seems that the horses were chewing on it).

 

[Bunnylady]

The sad part is, he's still warmer than I am. He's convinced I'm part reptile.

Critter says I'm an endothermic reaction.

 

[superchemicalgirl]

SCG - bedtime apparel sounds like the same as at the Sourland's. I always figured that the Princess had a faulty thermostat. Possible reptilian? - I'll have to think about that possibility.

Critter says I'm an endothermic reaction.

It's the same up here in summer, for the most part, too. I don't do well in air conditioning nor at night with the windows open because our temps get so low even in the summer. I keep the heated mattress pad on the bed year round... it's at least dual zones. Want to get grill marks on your butt? Come visit on my side. In winter I also have the heated blanket. It's a nice panini press.

Today BF's in shorts. I wore a light jacket during the day and now that the sun's down... the down jacket is back for chores. But I tell you... my thermostat is changing. I went to Arizona two years ago in April and thought I was going to die. And it was in the 70s and 80s most of the time. It was still snowing here, so my body was somewhat "used" to the cold. It's like my thermostat is half pregnant.

SCG, the likeliest candidate right now looks like Wild Cherry, which is leafing out right now. I haven't looked their property over, but that and Red Maple are very common around here. Both are toxic to horses; I seem to remember reading a post once from someone who had miniature horses that were getting poisoned by the stump of a Wild Cherry that was in their pasture (it seems that the horses were chewing on it).

If they've only had them for 6 months and all was well until now... I'd say the maple or cherry are a good bet. Too bad they don't know to stay away from it. I swear my goats are magnetically drawn to my holly bushes and rhododendrons. So far I've been able to catch them quickly and move them to a new location. And they are honed in on any extra duck food lying about. Perhaps they're part rat?