Urban Trapping

The garden marauders--first they ate all the leaves off the sweet potato vines.  No sweet potatoes this year.  Then they climbed the pole bean towers and ate every leaf off the bean plants.  No more beans.  Then they started on the summer squash.  Ralph tried to blockade the squash but they nosed their way in and ate every squash leaf they could get to.  Then Ralph bought a trap.  By then the only things left in our backyard veggie garden where a few struggling patty pans, okra (even whistle pigs won't eat okra) and a giant volunteer butternut squash vine with very prickly leaves.  No luck with the trap so far.  Then they started on the butternuts.  Giant teeth marks on every squash they could get to without going too deeply into the prickly vine.  Someone suggested baiting the trap with cabbage.  Success finally.

The proud trapper and his first catch.

We had seen two different individuals and thought this was the bigger one.  One of Ralph's co-workers relocated it to her place in the country.

Second catch.

This was not a veggie eater.  A catch and release, the 'possum is happily roaming the wilds of Midtown again.

Third catch, another (or the same) 'possum. Ralph moved the trap and baited it with an already gnawed on squash.  
 

The urban trapper and his fourth catch.

Nope.  The first one was not the big one.  

Amy couldn't fetch him (her?) for relocation until the next day.  By morning that squash was almost gone.


FYI:  whistle pigs, aka groundhogs or woodchucks.  Here's a YouTube video demonstrating why they're called whistle pigs.

Happa Asks . . .

Hop and Pop clean up.

"Why do we have to clean up, Pop?  I like living in a barn."

Happa Says....

" Feed me a bit of fresh spring grass,

And I'll let you scratch my head."

My Poor Little Blog

It's off to such a slow start.

I didn't post about the owl on Heck Creek...

Barred owl, first spotted by Robyn, photo by Ralph.

I didn't post about the early summer flowers in MO...

 Oenotheras and daisies take over the bank.

I didn't post about our June trip to NC...

Ralph at Craggy Gardens

I mostly started this blog to keep family and friends updated.  My new goal will be to post at least once a week.  Surely I can do that and then maybe I’ll work up to twice a week.

A Cyclist Sets Out to Renew His Driver's License

Ralph was rather peeved that he had to renew his MO driver's license this year.  We hope to need NC driver's licenses by the end of the year.

Ralph and his commuter bike