Monday, April 12, 2021

Just When You Thought It Was SAFE!

I don't know exactly why I thought to wander the property line.  I mean there aren't any critters in the neighborhood to worry about, right?  WRONG!!  I'm close enough to acres of farmland that all kinds of things have tried to make my horse corral their home.  I've lived here going on 13 years and have NEVER seen anything like this!!

Sure enough, there were poop piles and big holes dug in the dirt.  I could even see their trails as they wandered through the tall grass.  It's disheartening to know you have an adversary you can't even see.

So just for giggles, I set up the trap with a little cat food and my game camera, expecting to find nothing.


I hit pay dirt right off the bat!!  (BIG SIGH)  Guess who came to dinner!!  It seems however that THIS guy is much more careful and vigilant.  See him (or her) smelling the drop-down gate?  I forgot to use gloves.  That human smell was enough to send him packing before he even tasted the first course.
 

And so THIS battle continues.  I walked the fence line and found two boards that were loose at the bottom, allowing a trap-door effect right into my back yard.  I can't really nail them down since that's the fence that fell over and has yet to be repaired.  Instead, I propped sticks tight up against them to keep the skunks out.

I was admiring my roses when friend Cyndae showed up.  I explained my black and white problem in considerable detail.  So ..... do you think we should remove the stick and ply the interloper with fresh eggs in the hopes of catching him?  

The problem there is getting rid of it.  My relocation spot has been removed from the picture.  We would have to haul it off in the middle of the night to some far ranch property and hope it leaves the cage.  You see they refuse to leave the cage if it's light outside.  GO FOR IT she said.


With great anticipation, I checked the trap this morning.  Nothing ... nada.  No black and white visitor.  This one IS the sharpest knife in the box.  I'll give it one more night, then I'm closing up the hole in the fence.  

In the meantime, just because it's daytime doesn't mean the back yard is safe.  You will have to click on this picture to enlarge it in order to see the problem.  Just as I was checking for new holes, I looked up in time to see the biggest swarm of bees EVER!  They covered half the corral.  As I watched from a safe distance, they gathered in this tree.  Twenty minutes later I couldn't see any of them.

I thought to get a little closer so I could get a picture of the swarm, but I cannot see exactly where they are and I really didn't want any encounters.  When I was maybe seven years old, a bee flew through the bus window and stung me right between the eyes.  

Lucky for me the nice bus driver grabbed the stinger to pull it out, squeezing the rest of the venom into my face.  I couldn't see for four days.  Now I have a pretty healthy respect for things that fly and sting.


I've no idea what's on the menu for today, but I'm not going near that tree.  I'm now deciding whether or not I want to share a nice fat chicken egg with my skunky buddy.  As for the fire ants, they are slowly disappearing, hole by hole, ant by ant.  

At least I'm winning a battle here and there.


11 comments:

  1. Couldn’t get to your post yesterday faster enough here’s an reply update
    Start from scratch
    The next time you fill your truck up with fuel stop by a cat scale tell the girl you want an axle weight
    With that in hand you’ll not only have a record you’ll know exactly where you stand in truck numbers So there’s no confusion
    On the door frame of your truck should be a 1 front axle load weight and a 2 rear axle load weight
    If you subtract the difference that’s how much weight you can put in your pick up truck bed
    Now the next time you hook up your trailer stop by the cat scale again and get all 4 axle weights
    There’s your records the axle that you’re concerned about is the number 2 axle
    You subtract that axle weight from the original slip that will give you your numbers as to how much the difference is that’ll tell you how much weight you can carry guesstimation‘s don’t work because you’re never accurate but by putting it on a scale you’re getting an Accurate weight
    Now somewhere or your trailer behind the door probably in your cabinet is a piece of paper stuck to it that gives you the dry weight of your trailer as well as the wet weight of your water tank propane and pin box take The pin box number and compare it to your number to axle weight and that’ll tell you how much your pin box is pushing down on your axles
    Now that that’s out-of-the-way that’s the easy part your 2500 is really not much difference then a 3500 the frame is basically the same the axles are the same it’s the springs that make the difference to change those are expensive the easiest way to do it and cheapest is to use airbag on each axle that will increase your capacity by at least 5 to 1000 pounds depending on the air pressure but you’re a 2500 should be more than sufficient to carry what you have

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    1. It all sounds so confusing!! I think I'm fine, but I would like to know for sure, so next time I hitch up, I'll stop by the local scales. Thanks for explaining it for me!!

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  2. That's one large pepe le pew! Hope those bees are not the Africanized Honey Bees, that would be terrible if you had to fight them off.

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    1. The bees are just normal honey bees. It's interesting how they are swarming when I know there are many boxes of hives a few miles away.

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  3. The roses are beautiful! Do they have that nice smell? Have fun with Cyndae! Good luck with the skunk!

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    1. The roses smell okay, but nothing like you would think. I don't think they grow roses for smell any more ... just color.

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  4. Try try again. sooner or later you'll get your buddy.
    Be Safe with the Bees and Enjoy your time with Cyndae.

    It's about time.

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  5. Beautiful rose bush. I hope you're smarter than that skunk😁

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    1. Me too Doug ..... me too!! So far I'm one crayon short in my box.

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  6. Love your roses! They are gorgeous!
    I remember trying to figure out how to get rid of the skunk under our shed in London at our house. Small back yard and Clemson going out. That one had no problem coming out during the daylight hours either.Bill tried water and a light at night but I think he eventually got hit on the street. No funeral was planned. 🤣

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