(Day 311) House 'guest'

We're learning lots about living in the sub-tropics. There's a certain amount you can learn by reading and then there are other things that are learned through experience. We were somewhat aware of some of the bugs that live here, and so we signed up with a pest control company. Since they sprayed and set up baited traps, we've swept up a bucketful of cockroaches - dead, I may add. Living in the country has taught us that having mice in the house is not unusual - I've set my share of mouse traps over the years and disposed of many mice.

During the first evening here last week when my wife was putting clothes into the bedroom closet, she thought she heard a scratching sound coming from the attic area, right above her head. I came and listened - these were not mice, unless they grew to several pounds in the sub-tropics! The scratching sound was accompanied by the occasional thump, and shuffling of feet. I immediately thought of raccoons.

At first light the next morning my wife was already on the phone to pest control. They came, and recommended a wildlife removal firm who came and set traps in the attic. Each morning thereafter I was to check the traps - before breakfast - and call if a trap was occupied. We were assured this would likely happen within a day or two. Not so. Two more traps were added outdoors yesterday where it was thought critters might climb onto the house to gain entrance. This morning I was roused from a deep sleep and told to check the traps. By now you know I had to record the results.

As of this writing we're still waiting for the 'guest' to be taken away to a more suitable place. And we await the next steps since we've also been assured that there will be more than one guest.

(70-200mm  f8  1/30 sec  ISO200) - for both photos

Now, if you're still reading, I haven't forgotten about Sunset Sunday, so I offer this shot, taken a few days before we drove down here:

(10-22mm  f11  1/8 sec  ISO200)