Things That Go Bump In The Night

Something is going bump in the night around here! Actually, it's going bump and snorting a little. So far, not a night has passed in my traipsing back and forth from the office to the house that I haven't heard the large, snuffling noise behind the garage proper.

And like so many other noises--knocks and bangs of cars, etc.--I thought this would be just another thing I could never prove. I thought it would be a snuffling snort noise that would stop each time I brought someone out to hear it.

This time, though, it isn't.

Twice now, Attrition and Buddy have told me about the sounds coming from behind the garage and in what was our corn field. Sounds like those of a large animal.

I'm hoping it's the mate of Cosmo the pig (LOOOONG story) but we've been generating other scenarios. I have yet to go out and look for tracks or any other evidence of animal activity...I'll save that information for tomorrow.

Never a dull moment,

Scat

Thursday...the moth in the toilet...

I just have to say that there is NOTHING in this world like a good night's sleep.

Or, in my case, a good morning's sleep. I made it to the sack at about 12:45 am and was out like a light...only to awaken at 5 am with Squib. After the standard bathroom trip, milk, reassurances that he's ok to play alone 10 feet from my door, I was back in bed soaking up the sleep. Bed gravity was strong today and I must be living right because the remaining Scats gave him breakfast and his bath and let me sleep! I am very grateful!

Once I realized they had taken over, I set up the necessary sound barrier (iPod) to isolate myself from the wandering hoards. There was a clothing stampede somewhere around 8 am, but yours truly made it to 10 am!!!! Unheard of!

Then the cat fights began.

I'm still convinced SqB is a girl despite the obvious package. An adolescent or pre-teen girl, at that. Drama, drama, drama. And when he started chucking heavy objects at myself AND my laptop, OOOOOOOOO did I feel like duct-taping him to the time-out chair. Forever. Instead, I started confiscating every thrown object and am now the proud owner of over 50% of all his toys (yes I know this is my option at any time, but they're his things, I don't renege on gifts).

Lunch went down smoothly today...no more knife-throwing and a lot less vegetable eating which is odd because the veggies were rather tame (no turnip greens--gag me). And at the end of the meal, psycho tot looks at me and says, "Wut time id it, Momma?" I give the usual expected answer, "I don't know, honey, what time is it (it's becoming like a knock knock joke or something)?" To which my tot replies for the second day in a row:

"It's nap time!"

There was actual glee in his voice. There is hope for me yet!!!!!!! Wahoo! I practically levitated as we gathered the appropriate sleeping implements (sippy cup, Blue dog, Thomas, Annie, and Clarabel), parked his shoes in the correct spot (his idea), spread his blanket out (another tot preference), kissed everything--and I do mean everything, sang, and he gave me SIX kisses!!! Count 'em! Six! WOW! And off to sleep he went.

Ever since then, I've been looking for my Squash Blossom 'cause some other kid came out of that room at 3 pm. This perky, 4yo look-alike has been sitting in my lap, helping clean up for the housekeeper who comes each Thursday, hasn't freaked out in two hours, made it to the bank and the store and back without a melt-down, and is happily playing while I work and occasionally add a paragraph to my blog.

The rest of the evening went calmly as well. No usual ground-zero freak-out when the vacuum turned on. No non-linear apoplexy over menu choices on his movie. No outbursts regarding dinner. I put him right back where I found him after his nap so that the person who actually took my son can return him and take theirs back. Poor dears may never make it back :D.

The only REALLY disturbing part of the day is the peppered moth that has taken up residence in the office toilet. It doesn't spook easily and it doesn't announce itself, so upon doing my business, I FELT A FLUTTER!!!!!!!

Yes, I leapt into the air high enough to take residence in the rafters. So did the moth or he'd be dead. I was ready to smash him into oblivion where he belongs!

Since then I've gotten a little green and try to announce myself and poke at him a little, but he (and he really must be a man) must really like it in there (yes, in the bowl) 'cause he DOES NOT want to move at all! I hate to break it to him (no he doesn't deserve a name and I refuse to anthropomorphize about this), but he just cannot live there no matter how many littler insects he's picking off. Don't care. Parts of me are private--especially to moths! My strategy is to set him free after dark some time so he can see the world outside the bowl and hopefully take up residence in a little less risque part of...somewhere...

Death to skanky bugs,

Scat

East Texas Night Life

Last night, I gave up working on my impending deadline at about 9:30p and decided to head to bed a little early and get a good night’s sleep. The idea was my eyes needed refreshing after staring at three screens of squiggle all day. So, tell me, why is it that every time I try to do this every wild animal in the county sees fit to hide under my house as though it were their only safe haven?

The house is built on piers primarily due to the slope of the land, but also due to the nature of the ground on which it is built. There are advantages to having your house on piers…but somehow after last night I can't think of one to save my life.

As I stood today looking into the cavern beneath my bedroom, I instantly got a flashback of all the dry shelter caves I have seen when exploring/hiking throughout the West and Mid-West United States and the Ozarks. They look exactly the same. And in looking about the neighborhood, I’ve found that all the other homes on piers are UP on piers….usually to create parking and/or boat storage. At our house, we’ve made a safe haven for animals of all kinds!!! And most of these animals being nocturnal, well, that goes a long way toward explaining the interest all the dogs have in our house. It must look like a midnight McDonalds to them!

 

Then there are the snakes. Squash Blossom and I were making our way to the Scat Family Trio offices one morning and darn near stepped upon what we later thought to be a very young rattle snake. It was gorgeous, actually. A pale, but rich greenish-gold with a diamond blue-black pattern stretching all the way down it’s back. It hissed and jumped, but no rattle, so I assumed it was a Copperhead—even though it didn’t look it. Nevertheless, I lobbed SqB about 20yds away and told him to go into the house and STAY THERE!!!! For once, he obeyed. Single machete to the neck and Mr. Snake was no more. His head remained, but his body went through all the throes of trying to attack and finally crawled off. I remain a little leery of his brothers and sisters….and parents for that matter. We’ve also found Corral snakes here recently and have been unable to trap them or render them headless.

Mimi and I are here for the weekend alone (alone  alone  alone  can you hear that? it's nooothing!)…quite a refreshing time. No panicking octogenarians, no harassment or sarcasm (which is the way of things in this family). Not even any kids. I intend to go back in and sleep like a baby! The only reason for this blog is to let you in on the night life I experience and give you an update. Buddy and the Grand Scats had a great meeting and it sounds like the Scat family trio is going to get off the ground in a serious way here in the next months! That would really be something. Wow.

We shall see.

Scat.