Wasp Season

It's time to put out the wasp "hotels".  I hate to make a trip to Walmart but I need the attractant that lures the wasps in and a few other things that I can't get anywhere else (one of them being Piper's favorite treats).  I think if I only go in for 3 items it shouldn't be too stressful.  I'll wait for a weekday, of course!  Anyway, I was sitting out on the deck and this guy landed on the hot tub cover so I snapped this with my phone.  I'm amazed at the clarity!

This morning I went downstairs with a load of laundry and I heard strange sounds coming from the fireplace.  We had a raccoon get into the chimney and have babies several weeks ago but the flue was closed (we thought) so we weren't worried.  The last time this happened several years ago we had someone put a piece of heavy wire fencing over both chimneys.  Somehow the wire came off of the downstairs one and mama raccoon took advantage.  PD lit a lot of incense in the fireplace and closed the doors tightly and mama left with the babies, one by one, and we didn't hear them anymore....until today.  Mama must have brought them back and somehow one of the babies ended up in the fireplace and is (still is!) trapped in there.  It's so cute, smaller than a cat and makes the cutest little sounds, almost like purring.  I talked to an urban wildlife specialist and the plan is to leave it overnight and hope mama comes down and rescues it.  If not, I'll have to remove it tomorrow and take it to the wildlife rehab center.  Stay tuned.... 

The fireplace (which we don't use) is in the unfinished downstairs room that has been the collection point for everything I've taken out of other rooms in my reorganizing process.  So, today was the day to get it cleaned out.  I think of the organizing of this room in levels like our Covid reopening plan.  I got through level four today and we took a pick-up load to the ARC thrift store for donation.  I am grateful that they have finally started accepting donations again.  While we were unloading, I asked one of the workers if they happened to have a cat carrier.  The store is closed but I thought they might have one in the donation area...and they did!  So now we have a way to transport little Rocky to the wildlife center if it comes to that.  :-))