Friday, January 10, 2014

It's Warmer . . . I Can Get Some Projects Done . . .

7AM Friday
Finally, finally, finally yesterday dawned, the sun was shining and it got up to about 70F.  It was so nice to be able to open the door and windows for some warm and fresh air.  I felt like we'd been breathing the same air over and over for days!

I spent the whole day here in Floribunda doing a major reorganization of the outside storage compartments.  When I bought her in June, the previous owners had left things they thought I might be able to use in the exterior storage compartments.   Rather than discarding something I might need, I decided to live in Floribunda for awhile before tossing or giving away.  I  thought this would be the place to do it, as I'm here for six weeks and it was supposed to be so comfortable, weather-wise.  I've put it off for various reasons:  weather, engrossingly good book, touring, etc.  Now I'm into the last half of my stay here and don't know when I might be staying someplace long enough to tackle the job; so, yesterday it was.

When I started emptying the outdoor storage cabinets I discovered several indications that I have uninvited visitors sharing our space and extra pantry supplies like flour, dog and cat food, cardboard, etc.  Yikes!  I ran out and bought a rat trap (I'm pretty sure it's a rat) and some moth balls.  I started to set the trap and realized I'm not wanting to kill the little bugger.  I just want to have him move out of our house!  My neighbors gave me advice at happy hour last evening and I returned home thinking I'd do something about it this morning.

I was working on the computer when I heard a very distinct moving-around-sound coming through the vent under the refrigerator.  Oh no!  I couldn't wait 'til this morning.  I poured several mothballs into plastic storage containers and deposited one container in each of the outside compartments (working in the dark).  I came back in and settled down to read; voila!  No more noise; the little rascal(s) had fled.  Of course, I can smell the pungent, sickly-sweet odor inside as well as outside Floribunda.

Today, I'm going to buy lots of dryer softener (Bounce) sheets to use instead of the para-dichlorobenzene (PDB) that is now used to make mothballs.  There's controversy as to the effectiveness of using Bounce but it's worth a try.  Any personal experiences and / or suggestions appreciated.

By the way, how do mothballs work?  They work by a process called sublimation, meaning that they evaporate from a solid state directly into a gas; and it's this gas that is toxic to moths and their larvae and repugnant to mice, rats, squirrels, etc.


7PM
I got a little waylaid today; but it was all good.  Marvin, one of my Betty's RV Park neighbors, an Acadian, born and raised in Louisiana, came over about 10 volunteering to help me out with several projects that are in process.  This morning he pulled my old picture tube TV (old for TVs these days is anything over about 5 years!) out of the cabinet over the dashboard.  It's been sitting there since I bought the rig last June and it works, but I've never hooked it up.  A couple of weeks ago Marvin, Jay and Tom, other neighbors, tried to get it hooked up to the roof antenna but were unable to get it completed; none of us is sure why!   Then we started talking about hooking up my Panasonic flat screen (that I've had in the bedroom TV cabinet, also not hooked up to any reception aid) as it appeared it would fit in the cabinet.  Long story short, Marvin and I decided today that what I really need is a mounted bracket and swing-out arm so I can direct the screen to wherever I'm sitting for watching TV.  So, off we went to our trusty Walmart to buy the wall mount; along with sundry gadgets in the RV section of the store.

I forgot to mention that on our way to Walmart we took all kinds of STUFF to a place here in town called The Ark - from my clean out of yesterday and today.  I've been taking some things over to Betty's office and leaving them on a table for whomever wants them.  They're things that are in good condition but I jut want to pare down unnecessary STUFF in my little house on wheels.

By the time we got back we were both needing a little relaxation time; so that's where the project lays right now.  I did have Marvin over for dinner late this afternoon; I thought it was the least I could do after all his handyman activities of the last couple of weeks.  Thank you, Marvin.

One of Merriam Webster's definitions for PACK RAT:  a person who collects and / or hoards things that are not necessary.  I want my life to be simpler and one way to accomplish that is to get rid of STUFF I'm not using.  I started this adventure last July and I figure if I haven't used something within this period of time, chance are good that I don't need it!
Posted by at
Labels: , , , ,

18 comments:

  1. I love that picture of the rat but to be honest, they really do freak me out if they are in my space. Did anyone else in the park have them? And what about Miss Eleanor? I think you need to revoke her kitty license! Hope he has moved on

    .....and YES, I love the mish mash posts and you always do such good mishing and mashing too!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies

    1. Well, so far the trap is loaded with peanut butter, but no rat! I really think the moth balls did the trick and he high-tailed it out of here. Also, last night there was a terrific thunder and lightening storm. Warm weather, inches of rain in only a few hours. Pretty impressive and a little scary, too. Glad you don't mind sauntering along with some of my 'rambles.'
      When will you be in Louisiana?

      Delete

  2. I am sure glad you are having a good time at Betty's RV Park....after all you went through, it is good to have a wonderful experience like this. As for the mice/rats...we have not had to face that yet. I know you follow "Me and My Dog", and she has had some problems which she thinks is fixed now...you might want to communicate with her about it. --Dave (GoingRvWay.com)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies

    1. Hey, that's right, Dave. I'll check in with her about it. As for right now I think the rat(s) ran out when I put the moth balls in the storage areas; but I can smell it and it's not pleasant.

      Delete

  3. Joe and I have been down sizing and I think we finally took our last tub full, to Goodwill.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies

    1. Oh, doesn't it feel good? I wish now that I'd taken my daughter's advice and got rid of all that STUFF that I'm paying almost $100 / month to store in climate-controlled storage! I do not want to go through it again!

      Delete

  4. I'm glad that your uninvited rodent decided to leave. I hope it gone for good and just didn't relocated in a more pleasant spot in your RV.
    They go where there's food and seldom move in alone. They usually come in pair and populate rapidly. I'm not very fond of rodents.
    Good luck with this.

    JB

    ReplyDelete
    Replies

    1. Thanks Julia and again . . . I loved your Christmas blogs. Great family pictures.

      Delete

  5. Your picture of the mouse holding his tail is how we feel about them, so killing them is out of the question. We use Mice Cubes, which work quite well.

    ReplyDelete

  6. Sure does feel good to clear things out, doesn't it?

    Like you, I hated to kill the little critters that were coming into the Palms. But think about all the wiring they can chew, all the damage they can do. I've heard of people having thousands of dollars of repair work done after a mouse/rat infestation. Now, when I first see any evidence of the little guys, I pull out my box of deterrents and put everything out. I don't care if they leave or die, I just don't want them near my rig. They are fine outside, but I need them to stay outside. I used to put out seeds for squirrels and birds, but now only put them out high up for the birds. I think the seeds on the ground brought mice and rats. Good luck with your efforts. I've used many things and most of them do work. I don't think the drier sheets worked for me, though. Mostly traps and sticky traps (which people don't like, but they were the best). Fresh Cab doesn't kill them, it's a natural deterrent like mothballs, but smells like cedar. You can get it at Amazon.com. :)

    ReplyDelete

  7. I could have sworn I posted my prophylactic measure. Sorry to be late to the discussion! I had a mouse incident and don't ever want to repeat it. Since then, I've been using Essence of Peppermint Oil (from Amazon). I soak some make-up pads with it and stick the pads in my exterior refrigerator vent. Not sure if it works or I just got lucky but some people swear by it.

    I also keep old-fashioned traps in the van just in case. A professional exterminator assured me this is the best way to get 'em and know you got 'em. He says smear peanut butter on it. That's what he did and 18 very long hours later, my problem was solved.

    Well, except I had to fin a gallant Texan in the campground to remove the body for me. It broke my heart to kill a creature but it was him or me!

    ReplyDelete

  12. for beginners like me need a lot of reading and searching for information on various blogs. and articles that you share a very nice and inspires me .
    cara menggugurkan kandungan
    obat aborsi
    kalkulator kehamilan

    ReplyDelete

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)