My life is so exciting

This morning things started going bump in the basement. Really serious noises as if a very clumsy thief was trying to steal what few things of value we have down there. I opened the door to the basement and there were a pair of sunglasses and some sunblock lying on the floor that weren't supposed to be there. A while later, I checked again and a container of Off! was lying at the bottom of the stairs. So whatever was down there was obviously a party mammal. And most probably a squirrel. Hammy in my basement! Just think of the possibilities!

My wonderful neighbor came over with a tennis racquet, I grabbed a broom and we investigated. I had the idea of just leaving the basement stairs door open (it doesn't open directly into the house) in the hopes that whatever it was, it would want fresh air and food. My neighbor suggested that I use a peanut butter cracker as bait. So we left two crackers with peanut butter at the top of the stairs, opened the door a crack, then went into the living room to chat. After our talk, I checked and one of the crackers was gone. So I closed the door and left the other cracker to make sure our friend had left. At last check, that cracker is still there so I think we solved the problem. I won't leave the cracker for much longer because then I'll attract a mouse friend or two. Tonight, Michael and I can investigate the basement to see what damage the critter did during his or her stay. And try to find out how the thing got in.

Texas was so replete with reptiles and amphibians. I couldn't keep lizards out of the house. We had several really sad episodes. And I hate the idea of having any reptile or amphibian in my house. But Pennsylvania is really mammal-oriented. We've found deer footprints in our yard and we have a resident woodchuck as well as chipmunks and squirrels. No bears that we know of in our neighborhood, thank goodness. But they have them at Michael's work and in Mountain Top, a community on the other side of the valley. I wasn't too freaked about having an animal in the house although my hair stylist reminded me today that a squirrel is just a rat in a cute costume. And yet I panicked in Texas when a teeny little lizard found his way in the back door. Well, I never aspired to being totally rational. Good thing!