Wow? CriticalMass & Tillie, thank you for that suggestion about the wolf pee. I have some that i spray my perimeter with, but hadnt thought of putting some on a cloth inside?! My guess is theyll just avoid that area of the house. If anymore do come inside & trash my house, i will try that....however, this morning i walked into the kitchen and the thing sprang out of the trash can....lets just say hes now in skunk Heaven. I cried and wish there were a better option. These little things are like striped rats with far less fear than the larger skunks.
On a lighter note, i have a new vacuum im pleased with! I also bought a bunch of new socks. I must say, my shopping habits are at a great place now. I dont overdo it or underdo it....finally! 😀

So I wonder, could you buy predator urine at a garden center, put it on a cloth or something in a bucket (so it wouldn't have to be sprayed on your carpet or furniture and could be easily disposed of later. It might be unpleasant but maybe it'd convince the critters to move on. I'm sure they have such laid back personalities because of having so few other predators. Good luck with evicting them!

Good Morning 🙂

Hi CriticalMass 🙂
You are so lucky!!!
I haven't been to a Dr. Who convention in ages!
Have been a BIG fan of the series since 1974 when they first began airing episodes on PBS in Tucson.
Comic con sends me a free pass to conventions but I haven't been to one in a long time, mostly because they are held in L.A. or Las Vegas.
Anyways... exterminate exterminate exterminate. ;D
So very happy you are recuperating well! (((HUGS)))
Keep up the great job and please don't over do. 🙂

Hi Anonymoniker 🙂
Skunks do have predators.
Coyotes, wolves, large hawks and eagles do eat them.
Also, domestic dogs kill them frequently for sport.
Skunks just have a wonderful laid back personality that makes them easy to get along with and semi tame.
Hand raised skunks make great pets even if they are not de-scented.
They enjoy being petted and scratched just as you would pet & scratch a cat.
And just like feral cats, as long as you keep giving them access to food they will stay around.

Rained all day yesterday here! 😀
All the dust and cobwebs are washed off all the trees and bushes.
Everything looks so fresh and clean outside.
Power went out for about two hours starting around noon.
All the cats were happy to stay inside except Marty who sat in the carport looking miserable all day.
Been up since 5am, after 7:30 now and I still haven't done anything or made plans to do anything yet.
But the moon was up and beautifully huge and the sunrise was soft and lovely. 🙂

....by the way, in my last post, i meant humans as a species, not as individuals......im really hoping the little devil-rodents wont come back....it is amazingly quiet....yesterday theyd been making all kinds of noise all day and night...maybe, just maaaaybe, they understood me that theyre in danger in here & to leave....(fingers crossed!)

CriticalMass, im happy to hear you are doing well & recovering from your surgery so nicely!!! A Dr. Who Convention? That sounds like fun!!! I was thinking of going to Comicon & wearing my Catwoman outfit? The skunks are not likely going to just leave. There is too much here they like. Most wild animals are leery of humans. These #@*&#@! things arent at all. Theyre a much smaller variety. Years ago i had several of them chase me on their front paws, with their butt aimed at me as a threat! And that was in my own house! Right now its quiet, but my plan is to deal with them tonight....its funny cuz them having no predators, like humans, makes them so oblivious & arrogant & aggressive, like humans...

Thought I'd better pop in and see how everyone's doing!

Anony, is there a way to lure the skunks out, like maybe deliberately put a little dish of cat food by the door and then put it outside the door and keep moving it further from the house, something like that?

Tillie, I understand how hard it is to have friends you rely on move out of your life. Hoping some new friends will come into your life soon - and in the meantime you always have us here. 🙂

I'm still recuperating - was able to go have some fun at a Doctor Who convention yesterday. It was in a good space setup, plenty of room to walk without bumping into people, places to sit down if needed. It was something I'd looked forward to and with the surgery wasn't sure if I'd bounce back soon enough but I have! Which is great anyway.

I hope to do some laundry this coming week using my reacher to pick up the clothes and just doing small manageable loads.

CORRECTION: your.....it bugs me to make a mistake like that....UGH?!!!
~☆~ HAPPY HOME IMPROVEMENT TO ALL MY HOMIES!!!~☆~

Tillie, i am so sorry youre neighbor friends are leaving. Maybe, this could be an opportunity to start some new things with new people? Perhaps there are some groups or classes in your area that could possibly open some new doors for you?
Last night a skunk dug up my aloe plant id just repotted. I read a thing about how valuable skunk anal glands are for, get this, an expensive gourmet coffee that is made from skunk poop!!! Im just going to 'eliminate' them. It is part of the natural world to defend one's immediate territory.
Also, last night i realized my problem has become more about procrastination, than hoarding. I decided to see what i could find out about it online, and it seemed helpful so far...one thing i found that made me laugh through the whole video, was a thing called EFT method. It may well work. Its similar to a phobia treatment id seen. It was ptetty funny tho, cuz the guy is tapping different parts of his face & head while saying how he chooses to get things done....i had a really good laugh...tho i may end up trying it...ha ha...if i can do it without laughing...ha ha

Good Morning 🙂

Hi Anonymoniker 🙂
Thank you 🙂
Good luck with your wildlife conundrum.

Need to clean the kitchen today.
Have let it slide since Friday so it's not too bad yet.
Been trying to shake some severe depression the last several days.
Neighbor friends are selling their house and taking off in their big RV to live the good retired dream.
"Heavy sigh" 🙁
I will be so very all alone here with them gone.
Nate comes by to visit when he can but other than that there will be nobody ever visiting with me.
Nobody nearby to talk to.
"Oh Well" such is life. 🙁
Still waiting for rain, had a sprinkle last night but want more than that.
We need a down pour to wash away all the dust and pollen and spider webs in all the trees & bushes.

So, what are you all up to today? 🙂

Tillie, your description of the critters at the end of the summer is amazingly accurate! They have always seemed more aggressive & desperate this time of year to me, too! Your descriptions are very beautiful & perceptive! 😀

I am completely bewildered. There are at least 2 of these little devil-rodents! They have no fear of me whatsoever! I tried to 'tell'the one how it needs to leave or its life will be in danger. I figure its fair to warn it. Then, i realized a second one was on the porch. It could even be an entire litter that just left the nest to move in here?!! Or, another thought, maybe they were someone down my street's 'humane' relocation project?!!?!! I can hear them under the house, too! I know its quieter now with the A/C & fans off, but this is very recent! This is not going to fly...nope!

Good Morning Everybody 🙂

Hi Tatoulia 🙂
WAY TO GO!!! 😀

Hi Anonymoniker 🙂
Only way I got my four baby skunks to move along
was by starving them out.
They stayed here for the easy meals of cat food
so I guarded the bowls during the day and completely removed all cat food from the porch before sundown every night.
The cats survived and adjusted to the new feeding schedule without any problems.
Also, they could not knock over the trash can to rummage through there.

Wind is starting to pick up speed already this morning.
Another good day to stay inside.
Thursday when I was in town I discovered that they are putting in a new big "Dollar Tree" dollar store.
We already had the small "Dollar Tree" store where I buy cleaning products and Kleenex and some canned foods and bubble gum.
The new store will have a lot more of the kinds of stuff that I don't need. LOL ;D
Hope they also carry more of the kinds of stuff that I do need and regularly buy.

Hope you all have a GREAT! weekend and stay safe if you are in a stormy area. 🙂

Good morning! Yikes a skunk in the house? Anony what needs to be done to get it out? I haven't read the posts so not sure if you have a hole or just what but you are not obligated to live with wildlife in your house. please don't get used to it/need some real solutions. Call your carnivore friends in the furlture...(only half joking).

Tillie! My brother hasn't called me yet this AM so instead of loafing I've done two loads of laundry and changed my sheets. I'm going to go do more and treat this as "found time" instead of time to lay around.

Will write more later.

Hello everybody 🙂

Hi Anonymoniker 🙂

Been busy around here!
Yesterday shopping then over at the neighbor's.
The wind was raging here all day today.
Stuff blowing around and stuff blowing over.
Lots of dust in the air.
Cloudy and overcast with intermittent sun shining through.
It was freakishly warm too.
This is how it always starts before the snow storm.

🙂

.....grrrrr...my new resident with the residue scent trashed my kitchen during the night...i text my very-vegan friend about it & her insistence that i should somehow 'co-exist' with it sounded so ridiculous that i at least had a good laugh....there is no way....no way....ha ha

This mini skunk has gotten very brazen about going all over the kitchen with me right there. Its such a dilemma with the wildlife.....im gonna buy a new vacuum...i need to & it might make cleaning easier & more....um....desirable....ha ha

Good Morning Everyone 🙂

Hi CriticalMass 🙂
No matter how good you are feeling
take it slow and easy. (((HUGS)))
Actually, the method of picking up one item
making the keep/toss/trash/donate/recycle decision on just that one item
is the best way to work through decluttering an area.
😉

Today I need to do some cleaning around here, not too much but I will feel better once it's done.
Also making up my grocery list so tomorrow I can go to the store.
Having my list helps me to get what I need and not come home with a bunch of impulse foods that I really don't need, just looked good at the time. 😉

TTYL

Hi everyone. I got home yesterday afternoon. Thanks for the well wishes once again. Couldn't seem to sleep without having nightmares - gave it two chances, that's enough. I'll sleep better with a daytime nap, that's my brain's peculiar quirk. I've had surprisingly little pain, which is great. I don't want to have to take the strong pills because of side effects like nightmares.

Things will get back to some better rhythm soon I think. I did pretty well with unpacking and organizing supplies left over. I have one of those reachers for picking up items without having to stoop, etc. They are good for decluttering - it makes a game out of it, picking up one thing, deciding what to do with it, then another. Separated from the herd, each item is easier to deal with. I may be onto something here. Whatever works!

Good Morning Everyone 🙂

Hi CriticalMass 🙂
Hope you are resting well (((HUGS)))
Please check in here once in a while whenever you get the chance. 🙂

Hi Tatoulia 🙂
Hope you are getting all the rest and sleep you need (((HUGS)))

Hello Anonymoniker 🙂
The skunk will eventually find and eat the cricket.
There is a VERY good reason why I do NOT have a cat door.
Next you will be having a family of coatimundi taking over your house.
Seriously, my sister once had one living under her mobile home/trailer.
I much prefer to get up and let the cats out and let the cats in and let the cats out and let the cats in and let the cats out and let the cats in and let the cats out and let the cats in...
all day long.

I have no solid plan for today but I do have a lot of little projects I want to tackle.
So I will just meander around here doing some of this and that.
Sort of a relaxed and fun day. 🙂

....oh, no...everytime the cricket is quiet, i can hear that the skunk is in the living room again & making all kinds of noise.....#&*@!

Hey, CriticalMass? Im glad you are done with surgery?! Happy healing!
....every night i go into the kitchen late, theres some kind of critter encounter...tonight a miniature skunk got in & was behind the fridge...i made up some peppermint spay & gingerly doused the area around the fridge, and kitchen floor. I hoped he go out the cat door,but he went behind the sofa...these things can make you quickly regret chasing them by spraying, so i sprayed the livingroom with peppermint. It finally left. Now that it knows how to get in, it could be quite an ordeal. I dont like to live trap & relocate them cuz supposedly they often starve in an unfamiliar area....i hope he just stays outside...(yeah, right)...theres been a super loud cricket in the bedroom, too...its such a dilemma to defend my territory....

Hi CriticalMass 😀

You and your health are the number one priority right now.
No lifting, just rest and recuperate.
(((HUGS)))
That low level hurricane will still be waiting there when you are all better 😉

Hi Tatoulia 🙂
So easy to sleep on those rainy days. 😀

Get well soon, dear CM. Thinking of you.

I have been taking a bit of a break last few days. Sunday it rained all day (we need the rain) and I relaxed and slept all day. Today is a holiday so no work. What a great feeling.

Will write more later.

Posting from my hospital room wifi so hope it goes through. I've had quite a week or so. Finally feeling more human. So good to reconnect with you all. I got rid of a few items from storage in the days leading up to surgery. With lifting restrictions that may be it for the season I'd had such high hopes for. But it will be okay. The problem needed to be fixed, that's that.

I hope nobody was in the hurricane path. So heartbreaking. Thankful I live on the Plains.

Hoarding is like a constant low level hurricane in a sense. It is caused at least in part from things happening faster than we can get on top of them. Then it all becomes a flood. The good news: We can start to push back. This hurricane is malleable. 🙂

Take care. Love the kitties, watch the bat ballets (Tillie, you're a poet!), battle the spiders - and SCORPIONS?! :O Onward to victory!

Good Morning 🙂

Hi Anonymoniker 🙂
Keep spraying the peppermint around.
Everyday spray a little around your bed to hopefully keep them away from it.
Plus it smells nice 😉

Yesterday I spent seven hours outside.
The cats were with me some of the time but had to go back inside to take their naps.
I watered everything and washed the litter boxes and kitchen trash can.
That's it. Didn't do anything else but wander around out there.
Chrysanthemums are blooming. 😀
Ash trees turned all pretty yellow.
Cotton wood trees are dropping leaves like crazy.
Lilac bushes are slowly losing their leaves.
Wasps are getting all frantic knowing that soon they will all die from the cold.
Mean nasty biting big red ants are also scrambling trying to insure their survival over the winter.
Lizards and snakes are now missing from my garden, I miss them the most when they hibernate.
High winds last week broke a large branch off a tree in the south east corner of the yard.
Need to put up new clothes line, old one is starting to fray.

Thank you, Tillie! Yes, my tummy is better! Last night i had a kitty scare. I hadnt seen one of my cats all day & kept getting up all night looking for her. This morning she showed up for breakfast & i was sooo relieved! I then went back to sleep till this afternoon...ha ha
Ive also noticed the spiders are hanging out where id sprayed the peppermint oil, dangit...they only seemed to take a break for a couple of days...maybe ill try spraying it once a week till it gets colder?
Tillie, i hope you enjoy your time with your kitties watering & being out in the fall weather!!! 😀 =^-^= ~☆~

Good Morning Everyone 🙂

Hi Anonymoniker 🙂
Hope your belly ache is all better (((hugs)))

Yesterday was a good day 🙂
Today the cats and I are going out to water trees and bushes and wash their litter boxes.
The afternoons get pleasantly warm but the rest of the days are cool to darn right cold over night.
Typical Autumn weather 😀

TTYL 😉

Tillie, i hope you have an awesome day relaxing! I also go through a similar thought process of appreciation for being in such beautiful nature, with my kitties & having the Freedom that i have...even though i want my place to be nicer...
I woke up with an upset tummy. Everything i do makes it worse. I was starting to think the spiders were gone, till last night...another 2...i got them both...its usually right before trying to go to sleep, which then freaks me out a bit. I was just planning to continue that kitchen corner project, too...
~☆♡☆~I hope everyone has a beautiful, blissful day!!!~☆♡☆~

Tillie, i hope you have an awesome day relaxing! I also go through a similar thought process of appreciation for being in such beautiful nature, with my kitties & having the Freedom that i have...even though i want my place to be nicer...
I woke up with an upset tummy. Everything i do makes it worse. I was starting to think the spiders were gone, till last night...another 2...i got them both...its usually right before trying to go to sleep, which then freaks me out a bit. I was just planning to continue that kitchen corner project, too...
~☆♡☆~I hope everyone has a beautiful, blissful day!!!~☆♡☆~

Good morning Everybody 🙂

Hi Anonymoniker 🙂
Keep looking at your home as a job you are doing for someone else and being paid 1,000.00 a day to do it.
It is easier for anyone to re-do someone else's place because there are no emotions attached to the items or situation. ;D

Decided to take today off from life.
Will do cat stuff but nothing else except chill out and play all day.
Tomorrow I will water outside and wash litter boxes and make venison stew or chili, haven't decided yet.
Neighbor friends are back from their deer hunting so I'm no longer baby sitting their three cats.
My kitchen is clean, laundry all caught up, house is tidy enough even though it's dusty (as always).

So, what are you doing today? 😀