Ratatouille Two

After discovering a rodent had mistaken our garage for the Vermin B n B,
( Yesterdaday's post ) Monday morning I went to clean out the rodent droppings. Sweeping seemed like it would take a long time, so I figured out how to work the leaf blower and proceeded clearing all the dust and dry leaves and rat poop out of my garage. I assume that THAT will be how I know if there is still a rat out there, if we once again see droppings. Gross.
As I was literally closing the door and envisioning a long shower to get all the garage dust out of my hair, I remembered Jim wanted the leaves blown out of the yard.
How hard could that be? So I hooked up a longer extension cord and started on the walkway at the front door. Man, that blower is powerful! But I got the hang of it, blowing the leaves out closer to the street... then I went over to right side, blowing some more, but then those leaves didn't just fly toward the street like I'd planned, some are back over on the walkway. Hmmmm, this was more like work, it took longer than I thought. Back and forth across the yard, inching forward.
And then I realized I was creating a pile out there on the sidewalk; Who's gonna pick THAT up?? We have a green barrell for recycling yard waste, but they don't make giant dustpans for transferring TO said barrell.
I remembered then that there was this cloth bag you could suck the leaves into.
Once I found that, I had to figure out how to make my blower a 'sucker' instead. I went inside and got Reeder, and we both looked at the machine; we couldn't get the large plastic tube (I'd found it hiding behind some shelves,) to attach. He was on the phone anyway with his sister, Rose, so he gave up and went back into the house, and I went back to my pile of leaves. After just the 2nd dirty handful, I KNEW this was work. I should be inside drinking lemonade and being straw boss to some scout who'd gladly do it all for 10 bucks. I determined I'd try again with that blower. I sized it up again and found there was a ring that pops out to allow room for the larger tube. NOW I can suck up the leaves! Way faster than bending and scooping over and over. So I went out and vacuumed my yard and the street, careful not to pick up rocks or big sticks.

As I was putting it back in the garage, I spied this cool branch trimmer hanging on the wall. Its long yellow handle and spring and sharpness were all too inviting. I looked over at my shaggy Charlie Brown tree and surmised Charlie needs a trim! I just wanted an excuse to hoist another sharp yard tool. This one is fun, you reach up high and hook the curved metal over a branch, then jerking downward hard brings up a blade that neatly severs the limb. (which then MIGHT come crashing down on your head... not that that would ever happen to me.) I started cutting (avoiding a nest I could see up there.) Reach, cut. Reach, cut.
Several jerks later, I was asea in green branches and forced myself to stop, knowing my recycle bin only holds so much. So I carried an armload over to the barrell, and began cutting the long branches to fit inside.


That's when I spied him, a pale green praying Mantis!
I hadn't seen one since moving from Mass, he was so cute!
"Wait!" I said to him, "don't crawl down into the barrell!"
I cut a little twig off and carefully coaxed him onto it. Then holding it close to my chest, I walked back around to Charlie Brown. I pulled down a branch and let the little guy climb up onto its leaves. He quickly began his assent back home, despite my requests he pause for a photo-op. Luckily my phone was in my pocket!
(He's the little white 'stick' near the top of the photo.)


I now could go shower in peace, knowing I'd saved a life. Maybe two, if the rat had the sense to leave my garage.

I haven't checked, I'll do that now and report back.



ARGGHH!! He is NOT gone, and he left a calling card. At my door!!

I opened the door from the laundry room into the garage, so I could check the corners for some evidence, some vermin feces....

"Oh, look, You've got mail!"
I see some letters I'd dropped as I came in last night; I thought I'd picked them all up, but must've missed these.