Chomp, Chomp

  Mark has been battling the termites with full force.  These past weeks saw him ripping down siding, prying out studs and replacing the beams.  Now, part of the house at least has siding once again.  It is beautiful!  Granted, I still have to paint the part of the house that he completed.  I admit that I am slacking here but I do have a legitimate excuse!  It has been raining an awful lot and I sure do not want my paint to wash down the hillside!  Still, I know my work is in store for me and I promise to attend the chore directly.  

  As he was pulling out damaged wood, I was amazed at how in such a short time those critters literally ate their way through the boards. The damage is unbelievable!  I suppose we turned a blind eye to their presence and they fully took advantage of the opportunity. Boards were so filled with tunnels that they crumbled with the least amount of pressure.  Egad!  This gave me chills! The upstairs portion of the Little Bayou House was nigh on becoming the downstairs......right on top of my head!   

   I read where termites do an estimated five billion dollars worth of damage to homes and buildings each year.  That is a lot of chomping!  Even the White House has had trouble with the little rascals so the Little Bayou House is in good company with a bad infestation.  I only wish that we had the finances that the folks in the White House do to remedy the problem.  It costs a heap of cash to redo the entire house.  Still, it has to be done and it sure makes me glad that Mark and our son, Michael, have the knowledge to rebuild.  

  It behooves me to spread the word.  If you think, suspect or even have just an inkling that termites are lurking in the area, examine your home!  Go over it with a "fine tooth comb"!  Really get "down and dirty"!  You can never be too careful and if you leave things to later, you might really be paying the price in the long run.  So follow the old saying of "better safe than sorry".  Yep, that is a lot of cute little sayings to make light of a serious situation but I just thought I better spread the word.  Those little guys are downright vicious!