Yard, Gardens, Birds and Critters

Bark! That's Chief telling me he has to go outside! Oh, almost forgot, hubby set the live trap for the raccoon that has been eating all our birdseed.  I have to check if we caught a raccoon before letting Chief outside!  Hubby thought I was leaving the lid off the galvanized can we store the sunflower seed in.  I don't think so!  Yep, that raccoon was lifting the lid and helping himself.  If I forgot to take in the suet, it would all be gone by morning.  We have done the live trap before and it's been awhile since the raccoons have visited us.  Must be a new population in the area! So, back to the story!  I didn't let Chief out, I slipped out the door to see if there was a raccoon already.  Yep, there was one. Now to get him down to the truck. Imagine, if you will, a lady in pajama's at 12:30 in the morning, cold and somewhat windy, lifting up a live trap with a raccoon inside.  I walked gingerly to the steps and very carefully started down.  The raccoon decide

After hogging out, by eating peanuts and tomatoes and most of the suet in the last couple of days, the squirrel was at the feeder this morning.  I don't guess I told you I purchased a new "squirrel proof" feeder. I put the mixed nuts in it because they had figured out how to knock down and open up the other two feeders besides chewing a hole in the wire.  The feeders would be empty in just a few hours  The "squirrel proof" feeder company hasn't seen my squirrels!  One of the squirrels lifted the feeder off of it's hook after 3 days of hanging.  It dropped into a bush and, when I got to it, was almost empty.  Needless to say, I did some stomping of feet, a little cussing and some crying. It's who I am!  I got a different hook and put the new "squirrel proof" feeder on the old hook. Hoping the squirrel wouldn't be able to lift the hook off the hook.  The squirrels had finished off all but a little of the suet and I had just put out new su