When I last checked just before dark, the wash was still running far above anything you’d want to cross in anything less than an amphibious vehicle. So Ghost was left alone in S&L’s house since just past noon yesterday. That in itself I’d anticipated, so he had plenty of food and water. The only problem was the puddle I’d have to clean up this morning, but that wasn’t enough of a problem to lose sleep over. The mop bucket was clean and full and ready to go*.
But – as I feared, I’m getting good at this – when there’s a big bank-to-bank flash flood followed by a long fast but narrow run, you can bet a big deep channel has been cut in whichever wash crossing you’re concerned with. In this case, the crossing to Landlady’s and S&L’s places was nice firm packed sand, but the channel had cut itself a couple of feet deep. Scott the Road Guy was just here with his grader on Sunday, and he won’t be back till Sunday earliest.
In the end I was getting across it one way or another, if necessary that’s one reason I pack a shovel in the Jeep. But in this case I just put it in 4-low and crawled up the cut – which gave LB rather more of a rattly ride than he thought was quite right, but which the Jeep didn’t seem to think out of the way at all. Might have been harder if I were still running on bald tires, but I’m not. 🙂
This “heavy weather pattern” is supposed to continue at least through today, so there’s no reason to assume this afternoon will be any less sloppy than last afternoon was, and probably no good reason to go out there with a real shovel and dig out those cuts. The noon visit, I’ll make sure Ghost has food again.
Trying to decide what to tackle on the bedroom addition this morning. Think I’ll cut out that last siding panel for the long side, that should go quickly. And…(Zelda alert)…
I’ve got a rat inside already. The floor is still rough, of course, so there were plenty of places to come in. Yesterday I went around with flashing and expanding foam and boarded up the gap under the door, but it apparently didn’t dissuade Mr. Rat at all. So fine, tonight I’ll try more aggressive methods.
—
*And may I say I have to get me one of those O Cedar spinny mop things.
Poor Ghost, it looks like the weather Gods really don’t like him that much. Having that old jeep is a nice thing and believe it or not I have jeep envy of you. I would love to have a jeep for several reasons but one big reason prevents this, I’m married. So for now I’ll stick with the SUV we have. It doesn’t have 4WD but that’s OK. I figure if the weather’s that bad I’ll stay home.
Doesn’t take long for the mice to start invading. I hope you manage to get them all and not forget any. The smell of decomposing mouse isn’t that nice to live with.
Damn. extra pets already! The least LB could do is run them off.
Actually it might be good that LB has moved out there. LB ain’t no cat and his pounce is probably a bit clumsy, but If I were a rat I would find his presence (and all those teeth, and all that bark) very intimidating.
It appears LB was either in the other room or he slept through the intrusion.
One thing to have those little bastards in your out-buildings. It is another to have them in your house.
You need to terminate them with extreme prejudice. Get some really good traps. And after the rats are gone, you can use them against the squirrels outside. It is about time to make our life rodent free-er.
Yes!!! Yessss!!!! What Andrew said. Listen to Andrew! Rodent free!!! Traps. More traps. Nets. Sticky paper. Shotguns. Potassium cyanide. A mongoose. A pail of water with peanut butter around the rim. And oh, er, about sealing all the cracks and holes in the the floor from underneath, unfaced fiberglass batts insulating it and then sealing the insulation with plastic, THEN sealing all that with some kind of metal sheeting…so you have an encapsulated from underneath floor…or is that already done?
I meant your life rodent free-er.
Though I kinda live my desert hermit life through you, but, dang it stupid keyboard fingers bad vision gremlins!!!!! Blarrrghhhh!!!
I will be going out and getting skfbv gremlin traps for me. Get rodent traps for you.
You don’t need to be getting any of the various desert viruses that exist out there. And Hanta virus is known especially to ‘bloom’ up after a wet, rainy, monsoon season. TRAPS. GET THEM. Mouse size, rat size, squirrel size and use them regularly. Those little furry vermin will kill you, and you don’t have enough people out there full time to accidentally wander over and find your virus ridden barely-alive body lying on the steps of your cabin.
Traps, Dammit.
You don’t want to screw with Hanta virus. And this rainy season will bring it out.
Hey, Zelda, sounds like we are two peas on a pod about this. Too bad we can’t double-team him by showing up at his abode with a semi-load of traps.
Andrew what you just wrote about diseases I have said to Joel several times. He has tended to have compassion and tolerance for the rodents (!!!!!), even after they chewed up several hundred dollars of his Jeep wiring, and other items. I’ve asked him to wear a face mask and disposable gloves when he cleans up things they have chewed and peed on and to wash his clothes ASAP and not wear them again until he does. I am so glad to see someone else bringing up the issue of disease, because living alone in the middle of nowhere is not when you want to get any of the dramatic diseases rodents carry. Word seems to have been spread around in the rodent community about Joel’s benign tolerance, and I can imagine this long brownish stream of disease laden rodents headed across the desert to the Lair, AKA Joel’s Rodent Rest and Relaxation Ranch, best food in town. We really are two peas in a pod about this. It is so dangerous for him to have even one rodent houseguest. Thought several times about sending him a few dozen traps but…would they get used? Dunno.
Traps, Dammit. Disposable gloves. Face mask.
Yep, ZtZ, you are correct.
Even watched a show last week, “Forensic Files”, about the outbreak of Hanta on a Navaho reservation in a high altitude desert, much like where Mr. Joel lives. Same damned conditions.
Joel, if you’re reading this, there’s a reason that many desert hermits died or just went missing. It isn’t always the local dog variant, wildcat or random pissed-off native of one form or another.
Disease vector critters like ground rodents are a leading suspected cause of death in most ‘native’ areas, such as the Pacific Islands, Africa, India, China etc And the American SouthWest (Your Area, Sir!)
Dry years or moderately damp years are not bad. It is the wet years that will cause the explosion of the rodent population that will bring the bugs that will kill you.
Think, oh, the Black Death – cooler than normal and extremely wet.
Or the old British Army under-officer toast/prayer for promotion: “To bloody wars and SICKLY SEASONS.”
HINT. HINT.
If it wasn’t for LB and the chickens, I would suggest getting a crate of Tomcat poison, but since you have the animals, get and use the traps.
And like Zelda says, Dress for Success. Gloves and masks. Burn the corpses or bury deep. Stay Safe. Armor up!
You are in the land of Bubonic Plague, Hanta, and a boat-load of other nasty diseases that have been known to ravage whole civilizations.
So, enough guilt, for now…