Okay, I am not a happy camper right now.
My daughter and I had started to do the evening watering, and she was at the tomatoes when she saw something on the concrete steps outside our dining room door. We currently have our umbrella tree sitting there, and she saw something go behind the pot.
The mock orange here has been recovering nicely from cold damage.
As I to check on what my daughter saw, I could see movement through the mock orange leaves. The kittens have been enjoying playing on these steps. In the past, we’ve had cats move their litters under here. There is a gap between the stairs and the basement wall that even the skinnier adult cats can fit through, and I believe the stairs are hollow underneath. In fact, this is where we caught David and Keith, mostly because their eyes were so infected, they couldn’t see us to run away. Their sibling managed to keep going under the stairs and we were never able to get her. Rosencrantz then moved her out of there completely, and into the junk pile, hence Junk Pile’s name.
So, was it a kitten? Or…
When I got to the steps, there was nothing there, so I moved the branches of the mock orange to see if there were any kittens behind the steps.
Instead, I found a large hole!
Yup. A woodchuck had made a den here.
There wasn’t even the telltale pile of dirt, like the one in the garden.
Not. Impressed.
I grabbed our jug of critter repellent, which was almost empty, and simply dumped it into the opening. Then I refilled the jug with water. As I came back, as saw one of the little woodchucks running away and around the back of the house.
Because this is right up against the house, we can’t just flood the opening, but I did pour a couple of jugs of water down the hole. I also blocked it as much as I could with some scrap pieces of wood, for now.
For this one, once it’s clear, I think we will be gathering as many small rocks as we can to dump into the opening, then top it off with soil. It’s going to be difficult, with the mock orange in the way.
And we’re all out of strong smelling soap and hot spicy things.
While watering near the old kitchen garden, I could smell the soap from a distance. Checking the beds with the soap shavings, they seemed to have no new damage.
However, the end of the beet bed neared the house, where we had never had critter damage before, was now kibbled on. Not much. This area did get black pepper, so maybe that discouraged more damage.
Before heading into the house, I checked some other stuff, including the potatoes my daughter had just watered.
I found this.
Four potato bags against the fence were damaged.
I at first thought it could be that kittens had started rolling in the bags or something, but …
… no kitten would be eating potato leaves!
Off everything we’ve been trying to grow this year, nothing has been thriving as much as the potatoes, so this is particularly frustrating!
Since taking this photo, I went back and unrolled the bags to their full height. They are tall enough that it should keep the critters out.
I am not a happy camper!!!
The Re-Farmer
The Re-Farmer 
This reminds me that I meant to go check my garden today to see if there was further damage but I never made it down there.
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I swear, between the 2 of you with critters, tye 2 people training for long distance treks, and 2 people who started diets on the same day it’s nearly impossible for me to remember who’s who!!
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I’m the one who unexpectedly has to come up with the money to have this tooth extracted next week. Next week because it is abscessed. fun fun š
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SO sorry. Based on your description and my recent experience, I was afraid of that! I was post-abscess… tooth and bone destroyed. I hope your extraction is easier, and therefore less expensive!!
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Yeah, I pretty much figured that too. I was dealing with it until the swelling started and I figured I’d better just go ahead and accept the fact I had no choice. I have to say though they were so nice from first contact on the phone through my leaving today. I think, at least so far, that I made a good choice out of all the options that friends offered.
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YAY!!!
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Mine was part of my $10,000 month of unplanned expenses. I still owe $1250 toward braces and $3000 toward a dental implant… but the latter is postponed till braces come off… early 2022.
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None of that $4250 is included in the $10,000.
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That’s just brutal!
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I knew it would happen. Life seems not to want me to get home repairs and improvements done.
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ouch ouch and ouch. Yeah, they were already talking about an implant for the tooth that has to come out..I just smiled.
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The implant process I was given is 3 steps over several months: extraction heal (2 wks), post inserted and heal (2 to 4 mos), then implant attached.
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Yeah, that is what someone else had said a few weeks ago when we were discussing it due to them having it done.
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Oh, ow!! That really sucks!!!
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Yeah, I guess that’s what I get for avoiding the dentist though so..it is what it is.
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I didn’t avoid the dentist… went the day after I first felt pain. I still ended up here.
I’m now considering a bridge instead of implant due to time & cost. Figure I have 1/2 yr to decide.
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No, but I did. I admit that I did, so I just have to pay for that mistake.
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I had an epic garden this year, thanks to the great spring rains. The only critters I saw were a few bunnies and my two resident Road Runners, minus the coyote. Good luck with natures multitudes, they all have to eat, and your place appears to be a fast food restaurant.
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Chili powder? Red pepper flakes? Hot sauce?
I’d be in such turmoil… hating and adoring the critters.
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Hot peppers, yes. I don’t have chili powder or hot sauce, though. Have used black pepper, which is recommended.
They are adorable! It was one thing when they were rarely seen mystery critters we couldn’t get a good look at. Now, suddenly, they have moved right into the yard!!
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You always make me think of the time I saw a teeny critter in the road out front and stopped my car too look. The critter looked at my car like, “hoe DARE you?!?” Took me awhile to figure out it was a gopher.
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šš
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Oh, my. Leads me to…how much wood would a woodchuck, chuck…šš
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Which tooth? I lost upper L pre-molar. I no longer eat on that side due to food getting stuck in the open spot.
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