Critters

Have I mentioned that there are a lot more, uh, CRITTERS in the country than in San Francisco? I'm not just talking about the Behe Moths (thanks, Andrew), spiders, ants, beetles, giant bees, and mosquitos, of which there are copious amounts. Today was all about the furry kind of critter.

First, as I was napping upstairs at lunch time, some tough neighbor kitty came calling. He was all of 7 lbs soaking wet, but the kid had a black leather collar with punk rock studs sticking out. I decided to wait in the shadows, let Erika check him out first. This cat had the nerve to sneak into the laundry room and PEE all over Erika's shoes and some clean laundry! Thinks he owns the place. I'll show him, once I get back in fighting shape. For now, it's up to Erika to shoo him away.

Then, after the sun went down, an entire family of SKUNKS tried to move into the space under our house! Luckily Erika had been warned by the neighbors about this very possibility just an hour earlier, and had firmly closed the skunk door and put up a little sign that said "Skunks Not Welcome Here". Well they walked right up to the front porch anyway (maybe they can't read) and fluffed their little tails up at Erika, who was standing in the doorway in amazement that they would get so close (2 feet away). Undeterred, they ran around to the side of the house, where Erika had left the door open. She got there just in time to shoo shoo shoo the cutest little skunk baby away from the laundry room. The three babies shrieked their most vicious skunk screams, and fluffed up their little skunk tails just as big as they would go, while Mom urged them to follow her around the back of the house to safety. Or at least that's where I think they ended up -- they disappeared after they rounded the corner. I guess we'll know in a few days if they are living under the house. I think I'll leave that removal project up to Erika as well, and concentrate on the moths...