Tuesday, Jan. 20 – Mike insisted on another trip to the farm, so son Murray went with us. This was our third trip to the farm within a week. It was another dreary sunless day that didn’t budge from 27 degrees. Really, it’s too cold to work outside, but Mike will do it.
I mostly stayed in the house. Mike lit a fire in the fireplace, and the house became tolerably warm. After correcting a winterization oversight, Mike and Murray spent several hours working on the downed trees. We started back to town at 3:00.
We found two mice in traps again, so I reset the traps and set several more, one in my upstairs sewing room where last year the mice stole batting from a kit I left on the bed. Honestly, I don’t know their egress to these rooms, but nothing is sacred – NOTHING! Incidentally, daughter Hallie tells me that she has been trapping rats in the backyard of her Seattle home – five in two weeks. I have read that Boise is also fighting a rat infestation.
As I waited in the house, I looked through our cabinet of music inherited from my dad, whose career was devoted to teaching piano. I continue to store a variety of books, magazines, and sheet music, and I came up with a book of trombone “swing” exercises published in 1935, which I gave to Murray. So much is available online these days that we hardly need the books.
The trees, laden with frost, still stood in winter beauty, but I didn’t venture out to take pictures due to the cold. KW
7 comments:
No, no, we still need books! Even if you find music online, it still needs to be printed (in my opinion). I tried doing some piano practice from a computer screen and I didn't like it as well as paper.
Well, we have books -- compilations of songs that were familiar and/or popular back in the day. We also have sheet music. And we have a collection of hymnals from various sources gathered throughout the decades, perhaps of historical rather than musical interest. I haven't searched to see what's available these days. Maybe it's time to update the collection.
Though I enjoy reading via the Kindle app on my iPad (which still surprises me) I still love a "real" book, especially if I'm reading in bed. Our house is awash in books as Dan is a reader, too.
Meanwhile, RATS?? Yikes! Are they citing a cause?
We have a neighbor who likes to feed the squirrels, which I believe has inflated both the squirrel and rat population. I've asked him to stop putting mounds of nuts in OUR yard and have set about on my mission to reduce the population. Our next door neighbors have had rats in their attic. I haven't gotten anything in the last week--I don't know if peanut butter isn't as good in cold temps or if they've gotten wise to the trap. I moved it to a new location a couple days ago. I don't like doing this--I'm not sure it's great for my overall "good human" score, but I really don't want to be dealing with rodents in the house.
Hi Hallie, thanks for the info. No, you don't want to be dealing with rodents, especially rats in the house!!! Did your neighbor stop putting nuts in your yard??
He did stop putting nuts in the yard, but now I think he's hiding from me. He's a smoker and used to be outside all the time and since I asked him to stop, I've hardly seen him at all. I didn't mean to make it weird...it seemed reasonable to ask someone not to put things in my yard.
One reader says he has had luck in using a piece of a mini Tootsie Roll on his mouse traps. I use peanut butter. Generally speaking, the "experts" say that mice are attracted to nuts, and it seems that the rats in Hallie's neighborhood like the nuts tossed out by a neighbor. That said, the mice might prefer nuts, but they will eat whatever is available, including bread crumbs and even powdered soap. And it's not just the food sources they like. Fleece throws, afghans, batting, and toilet paper are at risk as nesting fodder. Virtually nothing is sacred, and we can add to the list that they aren't clean.
Great to hear that you and Dan still enjoy good books, Chris. Ever more literary options are available.
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