Taming of the Shrew

There's a shrew in our garage. At least there was one there yesterday. If it took the easy way out, it will have made a swift exit through the garage door that stayed open for just that purpose much of the afternoon. A shrew is small, furry, and has a pointy nose. Cats don't eat them because they (according to my hasty research) taste yucky. But they still qualify on the startle and scream list of things I don't like to encounter (right up there with snakes). But Zoe likes to find them, so she got on the case just as soon as I could get her away from the cat food and pointed in the direction of the initial scurrying/shuffling sound. She followed its trail around the garage as it went here and there, but never actually rounded it up, so my hope is that it left.

Other wildlife "encounters" yesterday included a robin's egg (lovely blue) and a possible osprey flying over the woods, both spotted by John. Have to get a better look at the presumed osprey, but it fit the description in the Audubon book. This morning he also heard a new sound while outside with the Z-dog at 5am (bless his heart). While I couldn't get him to vocalize an imitation, he said it could be something like deer calling. I love discovering all the new wildlife (as long as they stay out of the garage!).

We got a number of nagging little projects completed yesterday. John fired up the generator which was purchased in 1989 just after the Loma Prieta earthquake and has never been used. Thankfully, I might add. However, given the earlier talk of winds in this area during the winter, we thought it might be prudent to have a working generator. And we do! It fired right up after 20 years of dormancy and motored away. So, our cabin in the woods will be able to keep a refrigerator and other life enhancing equipment going should our electricity go off.

I have all but a small bit of the deck and front porch stained. I hadn't factored in the wasps which came out at midday around the deck. So, I'll finish that off today in between Jazzercise, lunch, and work. It's Monday....