The Keeper of the Tulips...and the Squatters

 

It's been a year and a half since I lost my best friend.

Time has only honed the wound, not softened it.

There are daily reminders of his absence.

Every day...and every night.

Spring is slowly waking here in Nod...but this year there will be no tulips blooming.

Snowdog was a great many things, not the least of which was the Keeper of the Tulips.

Even when age and illness limited his mobility, he would make his rounds making sure other critters in the kingdom of Nod knew he was still there.

And my tulips were safe.

But this year, is the second year spring he is not here, and the rabbits are running rampant.

Big ones:

Little ones:

Strangely patterned ones:

And in-between ones:

What is left of the tulips isn't pretty.

But even worse than the tulips are the "squatters."

As soon as the sun goes down and the dark settles properly in, the "noises" begin.

Loud, running, thumping sounds on top of my basement's tin ceiling that conjures movies like "Aftermath" or "Boy in the Walls," rousing the cats from their beds and bringing them sprinting down the stairs...only to retreat quickly looking thoroughly shaken.

I have had two contractors come over to "investigate" and both have told me that at the time of WWR ("When We Remodeled"), the foundations on the basement additions were not properly sealed - leaving open a literal thoroughfare to critter squatters from the outside.

However, neither contractor could actually fix the problem. 

Apparently it is a MAJOR problem and will involve a great deal of "moving" - of furniture, stuff, landscaping, etc.

I've put peppermint oil, Irish Spring soap, cayenne pepper, and chives around the foundation to no avail. (I had an owl decoy too...but it flew blew away in the last storm.)  Live traps you say? Yes, I tried that too...but for every one caught and released miles away, 2 more appear.

Initially I thought it was red squirrels who were "squatting" in my basement ceiling, but they've been relatively scarce of late, while the rabbits, well, the rabbits have been doing what rabbits do best - multiplying. (See comment above re live traps.)

This is one of the burrows under the porch that is I believe is a port of entry as every morning whatever dirt or stones I've placed there is worked around and the entry reopened and I've seen the adorable little fur things coming and going from it.

Rabbits to me are so stinking adorable....but they are really getting on my very crankiest side.

So there you have it: Another day in a (very) cranky crow's life in the merry ol' land of Nod.

Guess daffodils will have to do this year.

One-derland....

Last month, precious little Mia turned 1.  

For those of you new here, Mia is my (first and only) granddaughter who was born prematurely, weighing in just over 3 lbs.

At the request of one person (you know who you are), this is a glimpse of her first birthday celebration.

Her birthday theme was a take on Alice in Wonderland (i.e. "Mia in One-derland") and her mum had the house decorated like a virtual wonderland.

Mia's mum works at an extraordinary floral shop and has an amazing gift for details.

Obviously, I was enamored by the floral arrangements and didn't get photos of much else, but she had little arrow signs all over, giant-sized cards hanging from the ceiling and "Wonderland" clocks all over.

Teacups and teapots of every sort were filled with gorgeous blooms.

And, of course, there was cake...

...which the birthday girl enjoyed a little more than she should...

...but she cleans up more than beautifully.

 

As you see, she is well and thriving.  Unfortunately, we learned yesterday that she will need to wear leg braces.  Not permanently, hopefully, but this little fighter has had her share of challenges this past year.  

Thank all of you who have kept her and her parents in your thoughts and prayers.