Klepto-Rats!

   I am still battling the rats and raccoons that have invaded the greenhouse.  It appears that they have taken a liking to the place and are not going to give it up easily.  Of course, I am slow as I do not wish to stick my hands where one might take a snap at me.  Plus, given the easy access to an entire colony of rats, it would not be unreasonable to come across a lovely snake under some of this mess.  I am not sure which took up residence first but the raccoons are most likely the ones to have rummaged through everything and made perfect hiding spots for rats.  Whatever the case, they seem to be coexisting right well.   So, in the meantime, I am emptying the entire greenhouse...of EVERYTHING...rats and raccoons included. It is amazing how the critters took over the place in the three months that I was incapacitated.

  I will say this about those rats.  They are not stupid.  They have created many exits by gnawing through window casings and have tunneled from nest to nest.  Each nest (I have found 6 so far) has a stockpile of food, toys (?) and bedding.  Spanish moss is the lining, unopened seed packets are the food and, well, the toys are the odd part.  I am calling them toys because I have no clue what else the critters could be doing with their "collectibles".  Also, it is quite evident that these are true "Bayou Rats"!  The toys are mainly seashells that I had stored in large baskets. These were ones that were used in craft projects but were too bulky to keep inside the house.  Each nest had an assortment of the shells (and one toy bird!). 

  Also stored in the greenhouse was the leftover clue hunt props.  Most were leftovers still in place from when the place was reinvented as a Swamp Witch hut for the pirate themed hunt last year.  Any good Swamp Witch has to have an odd assemblage of concoctions.  Jars and jars of things like swamp water, lizard toes and jellied wasp nests lined the shelves. Mostly, these were not tampered with by the rats.  In fact, only one jar has been found in a nest.  A jar labeled "Sea Nettle Tentacles" and containing hot glue drippings in water was found uncapped in the nest.  The "sea nettle tentacle" glue strings were neatly packed in with the Spanish moss.  Why?  How?  I have "Klepto-Rats"!

  So, tomorrow will find me back in the greenhouse again.  Since the place is now completely void of contents, it is time to do some repair work and figure out how to keep this from happening again.  Then, only important stuff will be returned to its place.  Flower pots, gardening tools and fertilizers seem ok.  Seeds?  NO SEEDS!  Nope, not happening!  All seeds will be placed in the old metal toolbox that can be locked!  Sorry, Critters, the buffet is closed.  

  

She Sells Seashells....

No, not really! I do not sell seashells! This little tongue-twister always pops into my brain when I work in the herb garden! Why may you ask, does an herb garden make me think of seashells? To be honest, it is not the herb garden in itself, it is the decor! When we repurposed Puddlepond into the herb garden, Son built me two small benches/shelves to border one side. These were more or less a glorified fence to keep the dogs from demolishing the garden. They are very rustic..just two large posts with a plank nailed to the top. At first, I had the grand notion to use these as shelves for potted herbs. I could put some of the smaller plants in clay pots and use the garden space for large plants such as fennel or dill. That did not happen!

Since the posts lining the garden and used as supports for the shelves are "cut-offs" from the pier posts, the herb garden has sort of a nautical theme, I suppose. Instead of a row of plants, the benches now hold a glorious array of seashells! These were lining the windowsills of my living room before being carted to the garden. Ms. Put, the cat, was forever knocking them to the floor when she would prowl around from the sofa to the windowsill then on to the desk. She is a very agile cat so most of the time, she could maneuver through the obstacle course of shells with no casualties. But this was a game of annoyance that she would play with Ezzy, the mutt! Ms. Ez, with her usual patience, would watch all of these acrobatics until she could stand it no longer. With one leap, she would send the cat packing! My lovely seashells would come clattering to the floor scaring the cat, the dog and me! Then Ms. Ez would take the brunt of the humiliation as she would sit and watch me pick up the pieces. If ever a dog could feel remorse, this was the time. Ms. Put, on the other hand, would be long gone and I could only imagine her snickering about the whole incident! After the first time, I knew better than reprimanding Ezzy for the accident. She could not help herself and well, it WAS the cat that instigated the scene!!

The shells were by necessity relegated to the garden. Now, if the seashells are to take a tumble, they will land in the soft garden soil! I am pleased with the effect the shells and pier posts give the herb garden. This all sort of ties it into the whole Bayou thing. The shells gleam in the sunshine and add a lovely bit of ambiance to an otherwise rustic theme. There is one added benefit to having the shells in the garden..during the rains, they fill with water creating small watering places for the birds!