The Old Folks Home

[Bunnylady]

All that time, all that effort and it comes down to just those few minutes . . . .

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I'm bummed.

 

[Pozees]

I don't know how your husband can't smell it. I can taste it. My eyes water.

I don't know if I'd rather have scorpions and tarantulas and rattlesnakes (oh my!) versus a smelly skunk and ticks that carry Lyme.

Don't move to Colorado. We discovered this past week we have a family of 4 skunks living in the barn. We already had the scorpions, tarantulas, rattlesnakes, and there are ticks in the mountains, none out here on the prairie that we've ever encountered, thank goodness. So far no chicken trouble from the skunks but it's a matter of time. They must go. DH has been researching various traps and trapping methods. My boss insists the best shot is a side shot directly through the lungs, he says it keeps them from being able to expel all their spray, any idea whether that's possibly true?

I'm bummed.

This is the first time I've paid the slightest bit of attention to the World Cup, a coworker's daughter is an excellent soccer player and that engendered a mild interest, and the NPR reports have really expanded my interest.

 

[gryeyes]

Apparently my Homestead has become the Homestead for the mama skunk which first showed up two years ago. She had two kits then. When I first encountered her IN the coop one night it was hot and I'd left the People door open, then was late in closing up. I let her stay and backed away when
she stamped her feet and raised her tail. You can have the coop tonight, honest. I was diligent in closing it for the next several months. She still hung around because the darned ducks lay their eggs in the yard. She and her babies have beautiful pelts as a result. Never saw "two stripes" skunks until moved up here.

This past week, I saw a healthy skunk ( "well fed") run into the culvert in my gully when I got home after dusk.

Last night the geese got vocal around 11 PM and the skunk scampered away when I opened the side patio door to see what was up.

Ten
Minutes later as I was coming back into the house after a look around, Mama skunk waddled out of the plastic Barbie coop the MW turkey hens use for a secluded nest box. She is now HUGE, and her coat brushes the ground like a Lhaso Apso !!

Needless to say, I don't often find duck eggs in the morning. She will take chicken eggs right out of nest boxes in the coop if I don't lock it up every evening. My dog barks at her from a very safe distance, although he has never been sprayed.

I had hoped the occasional dead skunks on the road within a few hundred feet of my road were "my" skunks but apparently not.

 

[Wisher1000]

Linda, your skunks have no need to cross the road.......

 

[ChickenCanoe]

...
This is the first time I've paid the slightest bit of attention to the World Cup, a coworker's daughter is an excellent soccer player and that engendered a mild interest, and the NPR reports have really expanded my interest.

Most of the players are new but I knew many of the Costa Rican national team players about 5 years ago.

 

[superchemicalgirl]

Don't move to Colorado. We discovered this past week we have a family of 4 skunks living in the barn. We already had the scorpions, tarantulas, rattlesnakes, and there are ticks in the mountains, none out here on the prairie that we've ever encountered, thank goodness. So far no chicken trouble from the skunks but it's a matter of time. They must go. DH has been researching various traps and trapping methods. My boss insists the best shot is a side shot directly through the lungs, he says it keeps them from being able to expel all their spray, any idea whether that's possibly true?

I've found that pretty much no matter where I shoot, they stink. And stink bad. Pretty sure I posted my skunk-ritual after I shoot one on this thread earlier. We are loaded up on Fels-Naptha soap for our showers and our clothes, and I've got 2 live traps out there hoping to catch at least one skunk tonight.

After we shot the skunk last night and it sprayed, I called the neighbors to warn them (they have birds too, but mostly I wanted to let them know if they had a dead skunk on their lawn we'd come and get it) and they picked up the phone with "Hey neighbor... have you seen my black and white cat?" Turns out they had heard the gunshots and smelled the skunk and put it together.

Linda, your skunks have no need to cross the road.......

I think skunks are crossing the road to get there.

 

[Lacy Blues]

Just found this thread a few minutes ago. I read the first four pages and this last one. I don't intend to read the 16,950 or so posts in between.


It seems that every thread I'm involved in has died in the last week. I don't think I caused it but ya never know. As a result, I'm feeling kind of lonely and so I found this thread. I hope I don't kill this one.

My computer is driving me nuts as it keeps pausing mid-word so this will be short.

It sounds really nice to be able to talk about whatever I want and not be scolded for being off topic.

Just thought I would say hello to y'all.

I'm pretty sure I meet the thread criteria. I'm 52 this year and I'm feeling pretty darn old! My kids are getting close to leaving home and I'm not sure how graciously I will be able to handle it. I've got my chickens to keep me company I guess... at least they give me something to focus on. With that said, it's time for me to go feed them their dinner.

 

[subhanalah]

Just found this thread a few minutes ago.  I read the first four pages and this last one.  I don't intend to read the 16,950 or so posts in between. 


It seems that every thread I'm involved in has died in the last week.  I don't think I caused it but ya never know.  As a result, I'm feeling kind of lonely and so I found this thread. I hope I don't kill this one.

My computer is driving me nuts as it keeps pausing mid-word so this will be short.

It sounds really nice to be able to talk about whatever I want and not be scolded for being off topic.

Just thought I would say hello to y'all. 

I'm pretty sure I meet the thread criteria.  I'm 52 this year and I'm feeling pretty darn old!  My kids are getting close to leaving home and I'm not sure how graciously I will be able to handle it.  I've got my chickens to keep me company I guess... at least they give me something to focus on.  With that said, it's time for me to go feed them their dinner. 

welcome, Lacey. I'm pretty sure it's not you, so don't worry!

 

[ronott1]

Just found this thread a few minutes ago. I read the first four pages and this last one. I don't intend to read the 16,950 or so posts in between.


It seems that every thread I'm involved in has died in the last week. I don't think I caused it but ya never know. As a result, I'm feeling kind of lonely and so I found this thread. I hope I don't kill this one.

My computer is driving me nuts as it keeps pausing mid-word so this will be short.

It sounds really nice to be able to talk about whatever I want and not be scolded for being off topic.

Just thought I would say hello to y'all.

I'm pretty sure I meet the thread criteria. I'm 52 this year and I'm feeling pretty darn old! My kids are getting close to leaving home and I'm not sure how graciously I will be able to handle it. I've got my chickens to keep me company I guess... at least they give me something to focus on. With that said, it's time for me to go feed them their dinner.

Hi! Pull up a Rocking Chair and sit a spell. We are a chatty bunch here and have been up in the top 10 busiest threads recently!

You will love it here and you do not need to read all of the posts.