It’s All Over But The Railing.

I spent this beautiful breezy day working on the deck. Being Sunday I really slept in. I didn’t get started on the deck until about 9:30 but apart from a water break and lunch I stayed at it until about 6:30. I finished the deck and now have all the 4x4 posts in place. Tomorrow there will be railing. I’ve got approximately 120 rails to cut, predrill and put in place (2 screws each) along with the 2x4s and 2x6s that top the rail. I’m into my second 5 lb box of 2 ½ inch deck screws now. I haven’t done the math yet but I’ve put in a lot of screws.


I had no raccoon action last night. They apparently are coming by later than they used to. Slash, the cat that showed up again yesterday after being gone for a couple years showed up again today and hung around the yard. He seems to like Velcro. He isn’t aggressive toward the other cats so I don’t mind him being around. The past few days when I’m working in the yard Marmalade has been following me around. She positions herself where she can see me and just watches. Velcro got up on the deck today and started to enter the shed. No amount of yelling or calling dissuaded that cat. I had to jump up and shoe the cat away.

While I’ve been working on the deck I’ve let the house go to pot. I’m going to have to spend a couple days catching up inside once I finish the deck.



FLASH! ---Just as I was about to post the blog I heard a munching sound over the raccoon listening device. When I got to the door and looked out 1 raccoon was entering the trap and 1 was foraging around for food outside. I waited. The second one finally poked his head in the trap grabbed a piece of food and backed out. He did this several times. I waited. He reached in deeper and deeper for food. Meanwhile his partner was munching away inside. Eventually the second one stepped up into the trap. He turned sideways in the door then reached in for more food. Eventually all of him but one foot was beyond the trap door. I waited. The foot went in and I dropped the trap door. I now have 2 raccoons trapped. If the trap holds them all night they will go join Rocky and his friends in the morning.