We've had some hot weather lately and I believe it proved too much for my attic 'guests', who had to have been baking. I thought I'd heard them shuffling and bumbling out of the only access that I knew about yesterday afternoon. I was hoping it wasn't just wishful thinking.

Last night was the quietest evening we've had in a long time. No circus overhead. It's been over a week since I was able to block access to the cat's food and water. I've made sure that there is no other standing water in the yard. I'll be keeping my ears open for rustling and thumping sounds, to make sure they're really gone. If all continues to be quiet I'll be blocking any openings I can find.

The last thing I want is for any animals to die up there. Have you ever had a large creature die in an inaccessible part of your house? I have. After many unsuccessful attempts to curb the rat population in my old 1920's house, I finally resorted to poison. I was pretty sure they had died underneath the bathtub but I couldn't do anything about it. It stunk for many months!

Years later, when we remodeled the bathroom, I found two large carcasses under the tub, and two more in the walls. It was no small project to rodent-proof that house but I finally succeeded by blocking all the known pathways and entrances with a combination of sheet metal and large styrofoam chunks. I'm so sorry that my family had to live through all that. It was no picnic for me either!

All in all, I have to be grateful that this house is in as good a condition as it is. Sure, the bathroom floor is rotting, and I've had to fix two ceilings, with one minor repair left to go, but it could have been so much worse. Considering how much stuff was in this house, it was surprisingly non-gross. Just overwhelming.

The house had a particular smell that wasn't unpleasant. "It smells like Grandpa's house" my kids would say affectionately as they would walk through the door. After sifting and sorting through virtually every possession, I believe I've identified the "grandpa smell". I think it was a combination of dust and Dial soap.

Yesterday my daughter came home and remarked that the house smelled like paint. I asked if that bothered her. She said "No, I like it. It's the smell that lets me know my mom is here, putting her touch on everything." Awww... On that note, I'm gonna get busy and see if I can finish my paint project.

Ya'll have a great day!