EEK.

   No more sleep for me. the next call I make will be to an exterminator. I'm fed up with the wildlife around here. I don't dare open the windows because of fear the hornets will invade. The rodents are eating the riding mower out in the shed, chipmunks everywhere, a random woodchuck that lopped off the hostas by the well before they could bloom, and spiders in the basement.I guess it could be worse---David's neighbor warned him yesterday that a large coyote was seen on his (David's) lawn.

    I've been trying to clear out the basement, following the need to get stuff out of the way for last month's waterproofing, which by the way has at least limited results so far--no measurable water in the basement after Tuesday's deluge.

    But can't get smug about it, it being overcoming animal life.I woke up as usual at 2 a.m., looked out the window to see what looked like a full moon, so gazed on it for a while before returning to bed. I had just fallen asleep when I heard a strange noise; could it be the garbage pickup already? It is Thursday, isn't it? I peered out the window again, saw the trashcans standing undisturbed in our (botched) driveway. I knew it was a few hours too early anyway. So I went back to bed. I heard the scrabbling noise again, followed it to the bathroom. The cat was in there, a place she has seldom if ever gone. She was pawing at the duct in the corner of the room. A mouse ran out. Maybe pursued it, but being 15 years old now, the mouse had the advantage. Maybe took a right turn out of the bathroom into the hallway and to the kitchen. I saw the mouse run straight out into the bedroom---where I sleep. 

So that's it for the night.

   There are some unsprung traps still in the basement. We haven't seen a mouse in the house for at least 3 years. Mice traditionally seek shelter when the weather starts to turn chill, don't they?  I'm at the computer, hoping to hear the sound of a trap snapping---I just put one under the bed. It's now 3:30 and I'm feeling very sleepy...