Category Archives: Animals

Newlywed Love (#40)

Posted on by

March 12, 1970

Nate loved to touch soft things – a newborn’s cheek, a silk scarf, a kitten’s fur. He also loved touching ear lobes, mine in particular. Often as we talked he’d reach over and gently brush my ear without even realizing he was doing it.

Pussy willowsAs a little boy, Nate had discovered pussy willow branches and told me he’d been fascinated by their soft grey buds (or “catkins”) in early spring. His Uncle Bob had interested him further by telling him if he put some catkins into a saucer of milk, each one would grow into a little kitty.

Of course the young Nathan tried it, but all he learned was not to believe everything that came out of Uncle Bob’s mouth.

I knew of Nate’s interest in pussy willows and one day in March decided to buy a single branch, just for him. The long stem was loaded with fluffy buds, each one super-soft.

Pussy willow catkinsThe next morning, he was still asleep when I left for school, having burned the midnight oil over law books the previous night. Before I left, I set out a box of cereal, bowl, spoon, and some milk, placing the pussy willow branch across the bowl as a special surprise.

When I returned from a day of teaching, I found a sweet note he’d written that made reference to John and Cathy’s cat, Jeanette. He had taped a few pussy willow buds to the card:

“Are these little Jeanette’s paws? How did these little pussycat feet get in Big Bear’s porridge? Hmmm?”

NoteApparently a couple of the soft catkins had dropped into his bowl before he’d seen it that morning, prompting his comment.

I loved knowing my busy husband took time out to write me a silly note, acknowledging my gift. And I was pleased he was gentle enough to enjoy touching soft things. Maybe that was because he had told me the softest thing in all the world, even softer than a pussy willow bud…. was me.

“Pursue…. gentleness.” (1 Timothy 6:11)

Critter Gitters, Conclusion

Posted on by

After pest-pro Eric inspected my house and found all the spots where multiple animals were entering and exiting, he set traps to begin catching (and relocating) them. The very next day, several of the traps had bounty in them, so he came right over.

I knew he was pleased at our first catch when I heard his excitement high on the ladder. “Flying squirrels!” he said. “I didn’t know there were any in this area!”

IMG_3595

Remembering my ceiling stains, I couldn’t share his joy. But there they were, three grey squirrels with white “ruffles” on their sides, flaps that opened into wings allowing them to fly from tree-to-tree. “They’re practically tame,” he said. “My boss will want me to bring these to his property.”

“And how far away is that?” I said.

“Far enough. Seventeen miles.”

There were other catches as the week went on, and Eric also thinned our prolific chipmunk population, thwarting their repeated attempts to get into my house.

Critter Gitter.As he worked, I followed him around, watching him work and learning about his business. “People think we enjoy killing animals. One woman even called me a murderer. But we do our job with great care and as much kindness as possible.

“We keep a record of every animal we catch, whether we relocate or euthanize, and when, where, how. The Department of Natural Resources monitors everything we do, and if we make a mistake, we answer to them. And we have to be current on which animals are on the protected list, to be sure we release any caught by mistake.”

As he described how careful he was in ridding homes of critters, it made me wonder how careful I am in ridding myself of the negatives that tend to sneak into my life – things like a critical spirit, an exaggerated truth, or a complaining attitude.

Do I regularly examine my motives and emotions, inch by inch, to be sure nothing problematic is taking up residence within me? Do I hold a mirror up to myself, hunting for even the smallest sins with a desire to route them out?

Critter GetterIf not, I’d do well to remember Eric’s diligence. And once the offenders were out of my house, he was just as thorough in sealing everything up, which wasn’t easy. It meant repairing a broken window (left), buying a missing piece of siding and reinstalling it, tightening up other rows of siding, purchasing a new dryer vent-tube and putting a cage over the exterior vent, trimming trees to within 10 feet of the house, using stainless steel and other “non-chewables” to fill up holes, and doing it all on a series of ninety-degree days.

May I be just that thorough in blocking every opening where sin may try to enter my life.

“If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” (1 John 1:8)

Critter Gitters

Posted on by

I live on the edge of a forest that’s alive with critters of all kinds, everything from ants to owls to fox to turkeys. Of course there are also deer, mice, squirrels, rabbits, chipmunks, gophers, ‘possums, coyotes, spiders, and raccoons. All of them were here before I was, so I try to give grace. But when they leave the forest and enter my house, all bets are off.

Though I would never harm even an ant when it’s outside, killing that same ant on my kitchen counter feels right. The same goes for any other critters who take up residence with me.

Last summer the situation reached a new low when I found chipmunk droppings scattered over my silverware and in my measuring cups.

IMG_3646Then winter came, with the pitter-patter of little feet in my attic, and this spring I noticed yellow urine stains on the white bedroom ceilings. Logic told me a crowd of critters was cohabitating with me, breaking house rules.

That’s when I called “Awesome Critter Gitters,” a local pest control service with a reputation for gentle but insistent removal. Eric arrived with a truck full of live-trap cages, all sizes, and the determination of man over beast.

“First off,” he said, “we’ll do a thorough inspection of your home’s exterior, inch-by-inch. That’ll tell us where they’re getting in. After that, we’ll set live traps at the exits to make sure everybody’s out. Then we’ll seal up the house.”

For the next few days, Eric was a steady presence on my property, crawling all over the roof, using a mirror on a stick to look up, under, and behind every inch, just as he’d promised.

Critter GitterHe was up and down his ladder dozens of times, inspecting every crevice, anything wider than a pinky finger. “They don’t need much space to get in,” he said. I watched as he pulled acorn caps and shredded nesting material out of some very strange places.

He put pieces of tissue in tubes connected to several of the holes. “If the tissue falls out, we know an animal exited. If it falls in, they entered.” He showed me evidence of active use next to loose siding pieces. “See that grey smudge? Oil from a squirrel’s fur as he pushed his way in.” Other gaps were clean at the edges, indicating they’d abandoned those.

After Eric left that first day, the very next morning the traps were full, so I called him.

(To be continued)

Even a…”spider skillfully grasps with its hands, and it is in kings’ palaces.” (Proverbs 30:28 NKJV)