Too painful to endure

Please refer to the previous post as I say "See, I told you so."

Groundhogless posting

When the Mets were 2-1/2 games out of first I thought they were doomed and the deficit was insurmountable. Now that they are ahead by that number of games I think it is such a meager lead and there is no way they are staying in first place. Go figure.

Victory! Hopefully.

I made the last entry at 2:18. Just an hour later and things have surely changed. After making the posting I was sitting in the den reading and out of the corner of my eye I thought I saw something run across the backyard. At first I thought it was a cat that has been running loose around here. I got up, went into the backyard, around the side of the house, and as I turned the corner I heard something in the trap trying to get out. I thought it was the cat. Nope, it was Mr. Groundhog. He was chewing on the side trying to get out. Whoopeee!! I got him!! I almost did a victory dance. I took a couple pics, then loaded him into the truck and drove a little more than a mile, over a bridge and a river, so it is more difficult for him to make an attempt to get back here. I stopped on the side of the road, put the trap on the ground and popped open one end. Out he went. He stopped, looked back, and then kept going. It is finally over. Or is it?

I get back home, go around the house where I was going to take down the stuff I used for the "channel" to guide him into the trap, and I noticed that the hole was open again. In my joy in seeing him in the trap I didn't take notice as to whether it was there before. What I don't understand is how he could have made it through the trap to dig it out, then back through the trap into the yard, and then back into the trap where I finally caught him. Is it possible that there is another groundhog that dug it out while I was relocating the first one? Oh boy. I filled in the hole again and will again do the monitoring routine. Maybe I should have tagged the relocated one in case he does make it back here.

Just when I thought it was over

Well after yeterday's post you wouldn't have thought there would be another one so soon. But here it is. Yesterday I wrote the entry just past four thirty, which was about ten minutes after I had checked to see if Mr. Groundhog had redug his entryway. After writing it I was secure in the knowledge that he was probably gone for good, having not made an appearance in four days. Two hours later I took some parings to the compost, glanced over to the corner of the shed and was flabbergasted to see his hole open again. Did I assume he was in there? Do I wait til dusk to make sure he is home? Without a clue I simply set up the trap. If he was there he would encounter it when he came out, if he wasn't there and wanted to get back in he would have to go through the trap. This morning the trap wasn't tripped. I did notice that there was some dirt over the trap's base, which wasn't there when I set it up, so he did encounter it, but didn't set it off. The trip mechanism did appear to be slightly stuck, but it isn't a mouse or even a squirrel. A groundhog is a larger animal and I can't see how he could walk over the trip mechanism without setting it off. So, I reset the trap, left it in place, filled in his hole again, and will wait to see what happens this evening. Based on previous tries I expect this to be fruitless because it is obviously not his home and he is only there on occasion. I have no idea why he keeps coming back. Is it just to use as a safe haven when he is far from his home? Someplace he can run to if a predator is after him? Don't know, don't care. I just want him relocated.

Which way did he go George?

It seems that more than a few people want to know what happened after my last posting. Well, maybe only a few. Actually only two. But still that is more interest than I expected. If you are reading this and have no idea what I am talking about I am not going to take the time to recap everything. Simply go back and begin reading at my posting on July 30th.

Apparently he lives somewhere else and only uses our shed as a stopover on his daily excursions. I say this because in my last posting I observed that he had dug out his tunnel again, leading me to the assumption that he would be there overnight and I would catch him in the morning. I was wrong. In the morning, after setting the trap so there was no where for him to go except into it when he came out, I waited and waited and waited, but he never came out. Reasonable deductive powers lead to the conclusion that he wasn't there overnight. So, I filled in the hole again, and waited for his return. That was on Saturday. Today is Tuesday and the hole is still filled in. Where is he? I have no clue. Is he gone for good? I certainly hope so, but am not too optimistic.

If anything changes you will be the first to know.

Tonight, tonight, won't be just any night

I looked for him yesterday but he was nowhere to be seen. Still no evidence that he had returned to his burrow under the shed. But today around noon I saw him in the neighbor's yard enjoying his lunch under the sun. But still there was nothing near the shed. I assumed he had found other lodging in the area. Then, after dinner, I took some stuff left from dinner preparation to the compost pile and checked. His hole had been uncovered to prove he had indeed come home. In the next five minutes I had the trap set. Now I wait.

He's going to be grounded

He didn't come home last night. He didn't call either. Maybe he went to visit relatives, or stayed over his girlfriend's house. Maybe he has a second home somewhere. I waited until it got dark before I gave up on him. He did this once before so I really do expect him to be back in a day or two. I still put his breakfast (see yesterday's post) out for him, but with no sign of his return I knew it would still be there this morning, which it was. So, now I have to wait for his return before I proceed.

Ray's Next Move

I borrowed a trap from a neighbor. Research says to put it at the entrance of his burrow after he has retired for the night, and to provide a makeshift channel for him to have nowhere to go but into the trap where there is also food to entice him. So, when Mr. Groundhog awakens, exits his hole, he will be guided to his breakfast and WHAMMO, I finally have victory. (I hope) Setting it up tonight.

Error and another defeat

First let me say that I think I have been incorrect in referring to the rodent as gopher. In a previous post I had said that the terms gopher, groundhog and woodchuck were interchangeable. Well further research says that is not the case. A gopher burrows under lawns, gardens and golf courses through tunnels, is very difficult to get rid of, and will dance to a Kenny Loggins tune. A groundhog is less destructive being satisfied to simply burrow into the ground for his home, not needing to create a system of tunnels. You can see the obvious confusion since they both look alike and Bill Murray was in movies with both of them. I am convinced we have a groundhog.

With all that said, the groundhog won another round. My seemingly impenetrable barricade has failed. He simply burrowed under it to get between the shed and house and then through his hole under the shed. It seems to be a losing battle. I guess I will now get a trap and try to trap him and remove him to a distant land. But I have one more thing to try. I am going to drill a one inch hole in the floor of the shed and pour ammonia down into his habitat, hopefully making it an uninhabitable place. If that fails then the trap. A nice big trap, something with springs, and spikes to inflict the most pain and agony as possible. Just kidding.

Obviously more to come.

The Battle Wages

And so it continues. Apparently Mr. Gopher wasn't satisfied with the neighboring housing accommodations because he is back under our shed. Or at least the hole was reexcavated this morning. How did he get through my barricades you might ask? Well, underneath the cinderblocks at one end there was a small space between the corner of the shed, the ground, and the cinderblocks. I had plugged this space with some pieces of concrete but it wasn't enough to stop him. As determined as he was he dug out the concrete pieces and burrowed his way under and then back under the shed. So, this morning I did my stamping routine to make sure he wasn't under the shed, and went about plugging up the new entryway. I replaced the pieces of concrete and then laid a large paving stone over it, wedging it in tightly. The final step was to distribute more of my questionable repellant. Now I wait.

Your move Mr. Gopher.

Repellent failure

Well I guess my rodent repellent is not working. Or perhaps I am not eating or drinking the correct things to make it effective. I hadn't been putting it down for a couple days but was still checking for evidence of Mr. Gopher's return. For days there was no sign of him. I thought he had moved on to greener pastures such as the neighbor's house, which has been vacant for months, and would be perfect for him. But no, he decides to return and annoy me. Yesterday my brother Rick stopped by, asked about the gopher, and I said he apparently was gone. An hour after he left I go out and look between the house and the shed, and sure enough, there is a whole in the same spot. The concrete pieces I had placed in the hole were moved revealing a nice hole going under the shed. I opened the shed, stamped on the floor, to scare him out if he was there, and when there was no sign that he was, I once again took a cup, filled it with repellent and splashed it in the hole and replaced some of the concrete pieces and covered it all with leaves. A little while later I splashed more repellent over the area. Not easy to produce the repellent on demand. This morning I went out to check, and to my dismay, I find that the repellent didn't work, as the hole was there again. Again, I did my stamping routine, filled in the hole, assuming he was out, and then cut two pieces of a metal fence to place on top of the existing wall/fence at both ends of the space between the shed and house. Before this I had only a couple of cinderblocks stacked at one end and the other was blocked by the aforementioned fence which is only eighteen inches high. Now both ends are blocked by a three foot high barricade.

My question as to whether I barricaded him or out was just answered. As I sit on the patio writing this entry I heard a rustling sound in the other neighbor's yard, at the back corner behind their shed. Sure enough, there he was, moving along between the fence and the shed. Then he apparently went under the shed. So, unless there are two gophers in the neighborhood, he is possibly now living under a shed, but it isn't mine. We shall see.

Updates to follow.

Gopher update

Two days later and with daily doses of "gopher repellent" there have been no new tunnels or any sightings of the varmint.  I am thinking of bottling the repellent and selling it on the internet, but it will require drinking a lot of water.  

"In the immortal words of Jean Paul Sartre, 'Au revoir, gopher'."

Yesterday I am in the computer room putting something up for sale on eBay when Pat calls to me to "quick come look at this". I think she is watching TV and as I make my way through the house think "why doesn't she just pause it?" But when I get to the den she is looking out the patio door and I take her lead and look too. There in the back corner of the yard is a gopher or groundhog or woodchuck. (all terms are acceptable) We watch him disappear into the forsythia hedge then pop back out again. Then he runs up along the fence looking for a way through it. Finally he turns toward the patio and comes up to the screen claws at it as if to try to get in. At this point I holler and he runs off along the back of the house. I quickly come back into the house, get my glasses and sandals and go out looking for him. He is not in sight but I look between the house and the shed and it appears that there is a slight hole under the shed. It doesn't appear large enough for him to get in, but I think I should take precautions. I put some leaves over it to see if they are moved when I check later in the day. Later I am sitting on the patio reading and out of the corner of my eye I spot him again. He comes right up to the screen again, about three feet from me, and again tries to get in. I stamp my feet and again he runs. This time I follow immediately. I again check between the house and shed and this time the hole is bigger and he is sticking his head out. Oh boy. Time to take action. I go in the house get a large plastic cup, fill it "in the bathroom", and then go out to the shed. As I approach the shed I see him run off in the neighbor yard. Knowing he isn't under the shed I splash some of the contents of the cup into the hole, then put some small pieces of concrete over it and splash the remaining contents of the cup. I check later in the evening and no sign of him. This morning I go out checking for signs of his return but find none. Today I will again pour some "gopher repellent" between the shed and house. If this fails and he returns I will next get a gun and shoot him. Actually a trap will be the next step.

Invisible man on third

I recently finished reading a book about the origins of baseball which detailed the first games as "town ball" which didn't have the rules that the present day game has. It was more fluid and flexible restricted by the number of players, the equipment and the availability of space to play. It made me think about the game of ball we played as kids. But then something in another book I read really jarred my memory which prompted me to write this post. As kids we too were fluid and flexible, never having enough kids for a real game of baseball, and never having a field to play in. We were lucky to have empty lots, a definite thing of the past, gloves and some questionable bats and balls. It is a good thing black electrical tape was available. We would use that to cover the ball when the cover came off, and to hold a cracked back from splitting apart. Our diamond was really a diamond because we didn't have the area to have a true square infield. But what I mainly remember is the number of different games we played. Without going into detail, I will list what I remember... "Three flies, six grounders", "Rollies at the bat", "One up", "Stick Ball", "Wiffle Ball" and "Running bases". This is all I can recall right now. Granted they weren't the traditional game of baseball, but were played with a bat, a ball and a glove. Usually these games were played because of only two or three kids being available to play. Of course there was always a simple game of catch, or what I guess would be called stoop ball where you would bounce a tennis ball or spaldeen against a stair or curb.

Is it worth it?

This is another petrol posting. (I was going to say gas, but I prefer alliteration.) Yes, another posting about the high cost of fuel for your internal combustion vehicle. Yesterday I needed to get gas in my truck even though it was at half a tank. I usually fill it back up when it gets to half because of the fear that the price will rise and because of the shock that I would have to endure in looking at the total after a fill up. The gas station out on the highway, about a quarter mile from the house, is selling regular for $3.91. It is 3n gas. No, that is not the type of gas, it is the name of the station. I know there are some who say that these stations are more likely to water down the gas or cheat the customer in other ways, but I haven't seen any problems yet. But, that is not what I am writing about. Down the highway about a mile and a quarter there is a BP (a name brand) which is selling gas for $3.89, although it is the cash price, with credit being $3.93. Now we get to the crux of this posting and today's observation. The obvious dilemma is whether to drive the extra two miles (one each way) to save two cents on a gallon. A little simple math now. Half a tank in my truck is about eight gallons. Eight gallons at two cents per gallon is a grand total of sixteen cents. When you are spending nearly $4.00 for one gallon, and over thirty dollars for half a tank, a mere sixteen cents doesn't really seem worth it. Does it?

Another passing

I could write a lot more postings if I noted every famous person who passed on, the last one being George Carlin. But this blog would then be nothing more than a list of deaths. With that said I will use this posting to note another passing. Madame Marie is no longer among the living. I wonder if she knew when she was going to die. Who is Madame Marie you ask? "Did you hear the cops finally busted Madam Marie for tellin' fortunes better than they do?"

For more read the Full story.

Just a lot of hot air

I happened to find a website which offered seasoned toppings for popcorn. In itself, not a unique website. But I found it after reading an article on the health aspects of popcorn and the debate over air vs. oil vs. microwave. According to the many sites and articles, and also common sense, air is better than oil. I won't even consider microwave because I don't like the taste, no matter the brand or variety. I have always made popcorn in oil, made on the stove in a regular pot, but hated the clean up, and in getting older thought about the healthier air method. So, I looked further, found some reviews of air versus oil, and found many stated that air was as good as or better than oil. So, I looked further, which brought me to the seasoned topping site. They offered an air popper for purchase and also an oil mister to spray on the popcorn so their seasoned toppings would stick. It seemed that the oil mist would make up for any lack of taste from the lack of oil in cooking. I was intrigued. So, on a whim when I was in Kohl's I saw the recommended air popper and bought it. I figured I wouldn't need the mister because we use a no fat, no calorie butter spray. Which brings me to Saturday night. Movie time. I set up the popper, got the bowls ready, got out the butter spray and some salt and was ready to go. I will say the convenience of the air popper and the clean up put it way above my oil/pot method. But, even with the butter spray, the taste in no way measured up to the old way. Pat didn't finish her portion. I drowned mine in butter spray which made it palatable. My final conclusion after this experiment?

Anyone want an air popper?

A Sad Day

It isn't because I only watched NBC for my news. It isn't that he was such a well known newsperson. I think my shock at Tim Russert's death at 58 comes from a different viewpoint. Sure I have seen him during the elections with his grease board tracking the electoral votes, and an occasional viewing of Meet the Press, but it was reading his two books (Wisdom of Our Fathers and Big Russ and Me) and seeing him in interviews when the books came out that caused me to admire him and the relationship he had with his father and with his son as well as his love of baseball and life itself. So, it truly is a sad day.

New Flashdrive

Late in May, around the twentieth I was in the library parking lot on a rainy day, about to get in my truck when I saw what appeared to be a flashdrive laying on the ground against the curb. It was raining so I got in the truck but then thought better of it and got out to retrieve the drive. It was indeed a SanDisk 4 GB flashdrive. A couple days later I plugged it into my computer and saw that there were a lot of files on the drive, but I couldn't open them because they were all PC oriented. I did manage to open one file and translate it into a Mac program. It was a resume which gave the name and address of the what I assumed was the owner of the drive. I emailed him and he replied that he was very grateful because it was the only backup he had. I emailed him again saying that if his address was correct i would drop it off at his house. No reply. I emailed again. No reply. I emailed again and gave him my address saying I would leave it outside in a plastic bag. No reply. Finally at the beginning of this week I emailed once more saying that if I didn't hear from him by Friday I would assume he didn't want it and I would reformat and keep it for myself. No reply.

Is he dead? Is he in the hospital? Why doesn't he want it? Who knows? So much for being a good Samaratin. I could send it to him but I am not paying to ship something that he doesn't want. So, I have a new flashdrive.

Smell

I was riding my bike yesterday, a not unusual occurence, and as I came through a part of Keansburg I passed a swampy boggy area. With the heat, around eighty, and the surrounding environment I was transported back in time. They say that the sense of smell tied most closely to memory and thusly elicits memories with just a whiff of something familiar. The smell of the hot swampy area brought back memories of canoing as a young adult and as a parent with Kevin. All pleasant memories.

Trying something new

Trying new things (and when I say things I mean food or taste) is sometimes easy and sometimes not so easy. Of course as a child it is easy to say no when a parent would ask you to try some different food you had never tasted before. You were of course concerned with it being somehow unpleasant. But as an adult, if offered something new to taste, the response would be different because you would know that even if it were somehow unpleasant it would only be temporary. But there are occasions where the decision to try new things is a bit more difficult. What I have said so far is more of a sampling of new foods such as times when you are out to dinner and taste someone else's food, something you have never eaten before. But would you look at a menu and try something totally foreign to you? Then if it were an unpleasant experience your whole dinner would be ruined unless you had a dining partner who was willing to exchange dinner with you. And by this time you are probably wondering where I am going with this and why I am writing about this at all. Because I can? Because I have nothing else to do today while sitting her on the patio in this beautiful afternoon weather? Could be either, but it is actually neither. Yesterday morning I went to WAWA for two coffees and a Boston creme donut for my lovely wife. There are occasions where I will get a fat filled banana nut muffin instead of going home and having cereal with my coffee. This was one of those occasions where my will power was left at home. But in going for the banana nut muffin I saw they had a new flavor muffin. Pina Colada. Really? Yes, a Pina Colada Muffin. Dare I try it? I think, if I buy it and it is not to my liking, then I won't have anything for breakfast. Sure I could have cereal, but once committed to the banana nut muffin, anything less would ruin my morning and thus possibly my day. I could buy both muffins and this way have a fall back choice, but that is money wasted. What did I do? I bought the banana nut muffin, went home and enjoyed it with my coffee. So, you see why choices are sometimes easy and sometimes not when trying some new food? At least for me that is how it is.

Someone please explain

Okay, I know I have already had an blog entry concerning gasoline prices, but this morning I became extremely frustrated when I noticed that the price of gasoline had gone up six cents over night at the local station. What occurred overnight to warrant such an increase? I ask because I don't know. I went to my source for all things unknown, the internet, to see if I could find an answer. But alas I did not. I found many sites, many articles, and much information concerning crude oil and gas futures, supply and demand, macro and micro economics, refining capacity, and even politics and conspiracy. BUT, NOTHING about the cause of the daily change in gas prices. The tanker truck delivers gas to the station and it is put in tanks underground. Now, unless there is a delivery every day, the gas in the ground increases in value as the price goes up daily, as much as six cents a gallon as it did overnight. WTF? I really need an explanation. Of course with my limited readership I know I won't get an answer here and will just continue to be frustrated. But on the outside chance that someone does know, or knows where to look, I would really appreciate an answer.

I've Got Nuthin

It has been a while since I posted anything, so I felt obligated to sit down and write something. But as the title of this posting indicates, I've got nothing to say. My life has no events worth noting except for the looming event that is thirty working days away. Yes, Pat retires in thirty more school days. Oh boy. And you can read that "oh boy" any way you want. Every thing has been done for the retirement; all forms have been submitted, new insurance cards received; and nothing left to do except wait for the first retirement check. The only thing that hasn't been done is to make an appointment with a marriage counselor.

Change back from my dollar?

I stopped to get gas the other day and the gauge showed the needle to be half way between a quarter tank and the E for "start walking". The price for regular was $3.37 and the way the prices have been rising lately I thought maybe I should bite the bullet and fill the tank, which would last me a little more than two weeks, even with not having the greatest mpg. I figured the tank to be about fifteen gallons and a little quick math told me it would cost in the range of forty dollars. I had already filled up once in the past for thirty four dollars, which for me was unbelievable, so I knew what to expect. I did have a fifty in my wallet, so I pulled it out, told the guy to fill it with regular and that it was a cash purchase. I sat listening to some jazz on WBGO and then heard the click of the nozzle, indicating it was full. I glanced at the pump and it said $49.60. OMG. He squeezed another forty cents in, I handed him my fifty, told him to have a nice day, and drove away. But, OMG. Fifty dollar bill and no change. OMG. I have gotten fifty before, but that was fifty cents worth, back when I first started to drive. I am glad I don't commute to work and now can feel the pain of those that do.

Thoughts to ponder, continued

I was out riding my bike yesterday and for the first time in a long time had a canine experience. I used to carry pepper spray for fleeing from dogs, but haven't done so in many years. It seems as things become more urban, people have less of a tendency to let there dogs run loose. Thus it has been quite a while since my adrenalin has spiked from a pursuing dog. That brings me back to yesterday. Riding along, not on a rural road where I would be more wary of a dog, but in a developed area, I hear barking, look go my left and see a large German Shepherd mix bounding across the lawn angling toward me. Shifting into fear mode, I sped up and once past the property, looked back to see he had stopped. And that brings to me the thought to ponder.

If a person has their yard perimeter monitored by one of those invisible fences, does it really keep a dog inside? Does the dog simply sense it and stop? But will a large dog, traveling between fifteen and twenty miles an hour, bounding across the lawn, simply stop? Or because of his speed, will he hit the invisible barrier and be through it before he has a chance to stop? I know I could probably do a google search and spend time searching for answers, but I am content to ponder it on my own.