My husband and I own a house in Galion, Ohio. We bought it because we have a lot of family and friends in the area and we both needed a place to get-away to on occasion. We also knew that in retirement, we wanted to split our time between Florida and somewhere. Originally, we thought about north Georgia or Tennessee because we honestly wanted somewhere that was a day trip away. Ohio is not. But after one of our trips up for a family reunion, we began to think Ohio sounded like the perfect spot. Mainly because of all the people I knew, and my husband was getting to know.
So, we began the search and found a house in town we loved but also needed some work which was another bucket list item: to rehab an old house. We have owned the house for 9 years and over those years we have dealt with critters of one kind or another. We of course have a myriad of squirrels, numerous cats, and just a few skunks. The skunks thought living in the crawl space under the porch was a good idea. We disagreed with their thought process, found the hole where they were getting in and blocked said hole. And that has really been the only critters we have had. And they all lived OUTSIDE…until this year.
This year, we arrived safely and entered the house only to discover we had been invaded by mice. I hate mice. So, we (meaning me) were not happy to see the mess they had left in their wake. Our first task was getting the mess all cleaned up and since doing so, haven’t seen hide nor hair of them. I think the winter weather in Ohio was cold enough that it drove them inside. But then…I did some laundry…I washed all the rags we needed to use to clean up after the mice. When I put the items in the dryer there was nothing in it but the wet towels and rags…when I pulled them out…there was also a bat. I hate bats. I didn’t realize it was a bat until I pulled it out…saw what it was…and screamed for my husband…
So, now we are trying to figure out how a bat not only got into the house but also into the dryer. And trust me, it was not there when I put the rags and towels in. I am grateful we brought our cat with us this year. He is exploring every nook and cranny, and I am pretty sure the mice have gotten the message that this might not be the house they want to live in, if they want to live. What they don’t realize is that I doubt my cat would know what to do if he did encounter a mouse. A lizard yes…we have lots of those in Florida. The small ones even make pretty cool earrings when you let them bite onto your ear lobe, provided you can catch them…it’s a Florida thing.
So, while we try to figure out where all the entry points are to seal so we have no more mice or especially bats…on a very cool note, my front porch has become the home to a nesting pair of house finches. I am enjoying watching them as they build their nest…OUTSIDE.
May the glories of God’s wonderful creation delight you in someway today. And may your home be free of mice, bats, and other critters.
Peace,
Beth
Beth's Blog 