The past few nights it has sounded like there were animals in the attic, usually the thumping and scratching didn't start until late, but tonight it was about 9 pm. I got brave and went outside with the flashlight, and there were three (3) raccoons up on the roof trying to pry the cover off the roof vent. And they were barely concerned that I was out there yelling at them and shining a flashlight in their eyes.

Back in the house, my hand strayed toward the hand gun, and then on second thought I decided I'd be more likely to shoot out a window than hit a raccoon cleanly, and I certainly don't want some wounded raccoons running around here or bullet holes in the shingles and siding.

Now I'm looking into what I need to put around the vents as a repellent. Apparently a mixture of chopped onion, chopped jalapenos, and cayenne only works for a few days, as does ammonia. But one article I looked at said that the raccoons will get disgusted and leave, so maybe there is hope of that working. Certainly I'll give it a try because the last thing I want is raccoons nesting in my attic. You should have seen the determined look in their little eyes.

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Quotable Quote:
"Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower." - Albert Camus

Isn't that a lovely thought?

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Gardening Tip:
Late summer and early fall are the best times to use herbicide for perennial weed control. Cooler night time temperatures signal weeds to send most of the carbohydrates they produce into their root system. Sprayed herbicides will also be translocated into the root system where kill the plant. Hoeing and pulling weeds works best in the summer after flowering when reserves are low.

How 'bout that? Our nights are starting to cool down (finally) so after I drain the sprinkler system Saturday I'm going to go around with the sprayer. Die you pesky weeds! Die!