Snake #3

I had another crawling thing at mi casa. Same size as the last time. I guess I should be grateful we get to eliminate them when they are little, and didn't have another giant like the first one.

But this is getting old.

I was running late for church when I saw it, so no pictures this time. I had my brother take care of it. This one also had its head stuck in the glue mouse trap box (I am glad I got few extra ones to keep replacing them), and it was moving its body together with the box. We couldn't drop a live snake at the park trash can, so my brother took a shovel and banged on top of the box a few times really well. It was dead for sure. We left it in a plastic bag out in the sun and heat for the afternoon and then threw it into our trash can.

Maybe I really should start looking for that snake-a-way thing the pest control guy recommended.

A Sweet Song

A red cardinal bird came today on Ciro's grave. If you look closely on this image, you can see his beak is opened, as if he is singing. 

These birds make a particular chirp sound, that Ciro learned to imitate, so it was particularly moving that he was chirping right there. 

Why Is My Garage So Special?

Um, I really don't want that kind of special. The kind that attracts snakes!
Or is it the mouse traps, the glue smell, or what have you?!
I found this thing in my garage today!

Is this what hatched from that thing three weeks ago and now is following the parent's trail? Come on! Get away from my house already you snakes!

'Naf is Enough!

I've had my share of animals in and around the house. There were abandoned eggs, ducklings, opossum, dead birds, very active birds, rodents, bunnies, mockingbirds, all sorts of birds around and inside the house. I even attracted critters in my office. And I can live with all of those.

But this is one that I don't want to ever come back! St. Francis, please don't send it back, thankyouverymuch.

As I was leaving the house yesterday afternoon, when I clicked the remote to close the garage, it wouldn't close and the opener light just flickered. Annoyed at first that the new opener might be broken, I tried it again, and the same thing happened. Then I realized a small bucket was blocking the sensors. But how did it move one foot? I got out of the car and saw that two carton mouse traps were also in the way...

Backtrack to this morning, I remembered that when I was in the laundry room, which leads to garage, I heard a sound like a mouse running, in the attic or wall. It stopped after a few seconds, and since I couldn't hear it when I opened the garage, I concluded it was probably coming from the roof, and I could hear it from the dryer vents.

Back to the story... The mouse traps, that were placed there 10 days ago by pest control company in two corners, were now next to each other. And between them was this:

A snake with its head stuck on the glue inside the box!

Now, I've seen snakes before in the yard and tree, but not big like this one. And not this colorful. I was not going to touch it!

Was there a mouse in the trap and the snake went after it and then crawled to the other side of the garage, or did the mouse move the trap first - I don't know. It probably got into the garage through small drain holes near the corners of the garage door.

I first called the pest control guys, but they are closed on Saturdays. My neighbor across the street was in the yard, but since he seemed busy with digging I didn't want to bother him. Then I called 311, but the call could not go through (later I find out it's only in the city limits, which Wells Branch apparently is not). Next I called 411, hoping to talk to someone who would connect me with someone who deals with this kind of wild life. But I realized I had to first give some meaningful answers to the automated system, and I didn't know what to ask for.

Finally, I called 911. Dispatcher: "Do you need police, ambulance, or fire department for your emergency?" Me: "Well, it's not really an emergency, but I couldn't get through 311, and I have this snake in my garage and I don't know what to do with it." She then asked me what kind of a snake it was, which I didn't know, asked for my name and address and said they'll send someone from Travis sheriff's department shortly.

I stood there for 5-10 minutes, not wanting to leave the scene as the suspect might get away. When the deputy came, he first touched it with his foot, and the snake seemed to be stiff. He concluded that it's dead, and asked for something to put it into and then into the trash can. But when he then poked it with a stick, it moved! He walky-talkied his dispatcher: "we have a live one!"

The thing started contorting its body with its head still glued inside the box and started rattling its tail. It was a rattle-snake! The deputy got a bigger paper bag from his car, and, as some poorly trained snake handler, maneuvered the beast and the box into the bag. It was making a lot of noise inside! Hm, ok, that thing is not going into by garbage can! He asked me if there was a field nearby (?!), which there was behind the houses on the other side of the street, but I said I don't think he should dumped it there.

Off he went, with the snake in double-bags, and I don't really want to know what happened to it. I just don't want it, or any of its cousins, near my house again. Ever!

Christmas in February?

This poinsettia is still holding up two months after Christmas. The other 3 that I got at the same time are still alive, but don't look nearly as happy as this one. It didn't receive any special treatment. I don't know, maybe it's the basket!

I actually picked them up at my work when they were taking holiday decorations down, so they were already sitting there for a month or so. 

11-1-11

Happy All Saints Day!

This year has abundance of these special dates! :)

I didn't go to any dress-up Halloween parties this weekend. But last night we had many a children in costumes at our door. There were princess, super heroes, tigers, bees, fairies, ghosts, forces of good and evil, and myriad of undetermined characters. No saints costumes that I could decipher, but hopefully many saints in the making!

The kiddos started coming just a minute after I walked in after work, around 6.40pm. The little ones came first, and then, as the night fell, the older ones followed. By 8pm I ran out of candy and lolly pops. I didn't answer to the next two trick-or-treat-ers and started looking for more give outs. When the next group of 4 teenagers rang the door, I offered the jello! They were super excited, and asked for spoons right away! After those last 'customers' I turned out the porch light and called it a night.

Tonight we celebrated with all the saints at a High Mass at St. William's church.

Birdy

It seems Ciro is gaining popularity in the wild world outside, because this is the second feathery visitor we've had in the last month.



This little birdy flew into my house through an open door. Trying to get out, she slammed into windows couple of times and then tumbled behind blinds. She was so shocked that she let me handle her in my hands. But after I took her out and patted her for a few moments, she realized she was free again and flew away.

No idea what kind of bird this is, but it kinda looks like miniature mockingbird.

Mockingbirds

This little family has built a home in the crape myrtle tree next to my house. I see the mom mockingbird always somewhere near around. She gets a bit nervous if I spend too much time around the tree. I saw her even chaise a squirrel that got a bit too close!

I am always amazed how well they build the nests. They have some clear plastic bag/wrapping paper there, and I have no idea what that black mash-like pieces are.

Last time I looked, couple of weeks ago, three bluish, speckled eggs were there. I checked on the nest today, and these little ones were asleep. It was so funny when with just one little movement of the branches I made, they transform into these orange pits. :) Their little bellies, visible through the transparent skin, don't seem to be very full. Momma, better get back to the feeding!

I love their songs. It's as if they are always trying to invent beautiful new melodies. Now, there will be three more in that choir!

The Latest Backyard Wildlife

Last year I had baby ducks in the rosemary bush. This year there is a bird's nest high up in the oak tree, and the newest addition: baby rabbits in the backyard!

I saw some fur on one spot of the lawn about 1-2 months ago. I carefully dug it up, fearing there might be a rat or some other animal inside. But the hole was empty. So, I just left it there, not making a connection at that moment where it was from, and was going to fill it up with dirt. But I never got around to it.

I remember seeing the same empty hole during the memorial day weekend, two weekends ago. I did see a rabbit laying down near the fence, and I thought it was strange how he relaxed it looked, his back legs stretched out behind it, instead of in its usual ready-to-jump pose. Then on Thursday the following week, while watering the lawn, I realized I didn't notice the hole any more. I searched for it, and discovered that it is covered with grass and leaves. Again I started removing the leaves and fur carefully, and then something moved inside! There were some babies in there!

Truthfully, I weren't sure if they were rats, my first instinct, or rabbits, because their ears were more round and flat on their head. But when I didn't see a long tail, I knew they were rabbits. There were 3 of them, all the same size, and when I poked them with the stick they squirmed around. They were completely covered with fur, but their eyes were closed. The hole was the size of a melon, and the lower part was completely lined with fur. I did my best to cover it back up and put some leaves on top.

The next day when I checked out the burrow it was hard to find again, because the mother had fixed my lousy job of hiding the hole, and had put more grass twigs on it so that no fur was visible. Nice job! I dug it up again, and was even brave to take the babies out in my hand (day after left photo). They were so soft and wiggly. :) I held them just for few seconds and then put them back in. This time I placed couple of sticks in X shape on top so that I would know if the mother comes back again. And she did! I think today (right photo) they are about 7 days old.

I found some helpful information on these sites,
HopperHome
Help..I Found a Baby Bunny!
including about the myth that mother would reject the babies if she senses human sent on them, and about monitoring her activity by placing the sticks on top. She apparently feeds them just for 5 minutes during the night by laying on top of the burrow while the babies nurse. The milk is so strong that so little keeps the babies going for 24 hours. They should open their eyes at about 10 day old, be inside the hole for 3-4 weeks, another week be hopping around and return inside to sleep, and then they'll leave, each their own way.

I plan to just let them be for now, and then fill the hole once they are gone.

Quarry Lake Mischief and Gardening

I wanted to visit the Quarry Lake Park for some time. Since today was not quite a day for longer hikes (it was drizzling on and off), we decided on this location for today.

There is a fence all around it, with a coded gate. A sign next to it said it's a private property reserved to members of the Pure Austin Fitness, which is right next to it. I went inside and found out that only their members can get access to the gate, and I could maybe try through Estates On Quarry Lake Apartments on the other side of the lake. Being mischiefs that we are, we pulled in to gate, luckily someone was just coming out through the other side, so we snuck in. We walked behind the buildings down to the fence, and it was not fully closed, so we found a way to the trail. I even later got a code from a little girl walking her dog, just in case we needed to open the gate with the code on the way out.


I love these little adventures of ours! :)

It took us only twenty minutes to go around the lake, but we were already hungry. We had a late lunch at the Roaring Fork restaurant, which has a nice screened patio overlooking the lake. We got back just in time for mom's English class at the Wells Branch library.

Another item on today's agenda was to get some plants for the in-front of the house, and get closer to choosing a tree for the front yard. Early in the morning we picked up some 20 ornamental red kale and 18 yellow dragon-snaps at the Newtown Nursery, and I planted maybe a third of those in the evening. We also stopped at three other places to look at tree options. I am looking for something that is evergreen, but has leaves, not needles like pines, grows to medium height and width, is draught tolerant, and generally low maintenance. All those equalled to Mexican White Oak. The prices very greatly between container/tree sizes and nurseries. The least expensive one was Whittlesey Landscape Supplies on I35.

Snow Day in Austin

In Austin we get a snow-day once every few years. And it's an off-day even if it's just a little snowy precipitation. And this time we got a "lot" of it - in Austin standards.

It started snowing just before midnight, but it was more sleet than snow. By morning, we had a nice couple of inches of snow on the ground. My company announced a delayed opening until 9, but since I rarely ever go to work before 9, it didn't mean much to me. But still, roads in my neighbourhood were covered in icy snow, and since it was still below freezing I decided to delay my regular travel time to work, as well. The first thing out of bed I did was to put on winter clothes and go outside to play. :) Of course. I mean, it's not like the snow would last for more than one day, even few hours. No time to waste. Building a snowman was a must.

We got way more snow than the last time we had snow in Austin, and because it was still bellow freezing, it didn't melt all the way until the next day. It was a bit icy, so the snowballs wouldn't pick up more snow just by rolling them - which is traditionally how a snowman is produced. I made a regular snowball and then had to just pile more snow on top of it and pack it down to build the snowman. Even then, it would stick more to my gloves than on the snowman. It took more time, but it was time spent playing in the snow! Mom helped as well, and it turned out to be one very happy, good looking snowman. And me - one very happy girl. :)

I did end up going to work after 11, and most people just worked remotely from home. The snowman survived more than 24 hours.

Giving Thanks

I love that we have at least this one day to remind us that we have so much to be thankful for. I know I needed a reminder lately.

I like to think that we have started a little tradition, to have my brother and his future wife over for Thanksgiving. They both like to cook, and that gives me an inspiration to whip up some of my favorites, too.

A week before we started throwing some ideas out about the menu. We liked all, so we didn't cut any of them from the list! The two of them came over the night before, and we spent good 4 hours in the kitchen on Wednesday evening. The plan was to have dishes ready for dinner, so we were pretty much cooking for another 6 hours on Thursday. It was so nice to do it with dear company, chatting, helping each other, listening to music... It was such a pleasant day! And the weather was unusually warm, it the 80s, until it dropped down to 50s in a matter of couple of hours in the afternoon.

In the end, we made 14 different things, all from scratch! It was a mix of traditional home cooking, fancy vegetarian dishes, and traditional Thanksgiving food. Our menu included:
- Celery Root and Chestnut Soup With Brussels Sprouts
- Prosciutto wrapped asparagus
- Organic Turkey
- Gravy
- Cranberry-orange sauce
- Harvest-Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms
- Fresh French green beans sauteed with organic carrots
- Fingerling baby potatoes
- Perl onions in bechamel sauce
- Baby spinach, strawberries, and almonds salad
- Red wine vinegar, master seeds and dill dressing
- Cucumber, green onions, yogurt salad
- Ferrero Rocher cake
- Tart cherries pie
- Merlot (Cupcake) wine

The Tree Is No More

The second tree in the front yard is gone. It has been struggling ever since I moved in here. I had it trimmed of all (completely) dead branches this spring, which there were many already back then. I also gave it feeding and extra water, all in the hopes of giving it a chance to recover. But, it seems it just needed to be put out of its misery, as one lady at home depot had told me.

Last weekend, while I was trimming the bushes, my next door neighbour came over and just offered to cut the tree down. What a nice man. He has bought himself a chain saw recently, and just enjoys working with it, but seems he has run out of trees in his yard. :) So, he cut it down, and I let him take the wood for their outdoor fire pit.

Now I plan on getting another tree for the front yard sometime this winter. I still have to do some research on when to plant, what is available, is resilient to TX heat and occasional droughts, lack of care, doesn't suffer if I put grass weed&feed around it, has leaves for most of the year, and maybe have a nice bloom. Couple of years ago I had another pine tree cut down from the front yard. It died after moth infestation. I hope there is nothing in the ground that is causing these trees to die.

If you have any suggestions, please send them my way.

Perfect Math

I love it when financies math works out perfectly.

The new furniture I bought was on a 24-month 0%-interest loan. The first payment (full amount divided by 24) starts in mid November.

Few weeks ago I also got a raise at work, and by the time that first payment is due I will have received one full month worth of that raise.

So, just in that is a perfect timing. But, what is also perfect is that the amount of the monhtly payment is EXACTLY equal to the monthly raise, just 20 cents difference!

I should not even notice these 2-year long payments. Ha!

New Master Bedroom

What kept me busy for the last month or so was renovation of the mater bedroom. Well, I didn't knock any walls down, but it was still a lot of work.

I've been shopping for the bedroom set for the past four, yes 4, years. I had an idea in mind of what I wanted, and none of the stores in Austin had it. And I wasn't going to buy anything on-line that I couldn't first see and touch. I almost gave up completely. It wasn't high priority, anyways. Then, a friend of mine started dragging me with her (not that I needed any convincing) to different stores as she was shopping for some furniture, and I started looking more seriously into bedroom sets. It had to have four characteristics: reddish wood, sleigh, padded, and lower height head-board, drawers with rails on the side (not under), and nightstand with more than one drawer. I finally found one set with all those, a platform bed, which wasn't my ideal, but I didn't had strong opinion about that. It should be delivered next week.

Well, since I currently have very little furniture in that room, I decided to also change the flooring before the new furniture arrives; pull out the carpet and install the laminate flooring like I have in other part of the house. And, I was going to install it without hiring a professional! My policy is that if I can do something myself, with a little help from google and advices from people who are in the know-how - I am not going to pay someone else to do it.

I gathered all the material and the tools, cleared out the room, and started ripping out the carpet three weekends ago. The tackstrip took a really long time to remove. The floor required some leveling, so the next few days there were several more trips to Home Depot for supplies. It was all ready for the installation by the second weekend. Or so I thought.

On Friday evening, I laid down one row and one column of laminate to measure first and last board. Then I realized there is a high spot on the concrete that is causing the laminate to dip. I was only fixing low areas. So, in the morning, I went and got a concrete sander, and started grinding that spot. Oh, the dust! I had all the protective gear, but, after maybe an hour, I had to call it quits. What was done, was done. By the time I cleaned up all that dust, it was 1.30 PM on Saturday when we (my brother came to help) started actually installing the floor.

The first row was fine, The problem started with the second row. It was just not going in the way the instructions said. After 4 hours, we were still on 2nd or 3rd row. I was mainly measuring and marking for cutting, and my brother cutting and installing, as we thought it needed strength. We were frustrated. I was already exhausted. I sent my brother to take a break, and I wanted to give it a try. It just wasn't working. Then he had a breakthrough! When he tapped on the board while it was still at an angle, it started locking in! Yay! We finally started making some progress. At 11 PM we were 1/3 done. I was insanely tired. The next day was all rest.

My brother came over again a couple of evenings that next week, and all the laminate was installed by Thursday. I was already tired of this project, so I was dragging on with installing the quarter round, sanding, caulking, filling the nail holes, painting, cleaning up. But, today I finished it all, and finally moved back all my stuff into the closet. I'll wait till the furniture is delivered to move the mattress and actually move back in.

Master bedroom reno - check done!

Lost Mailbox Key

When I returned from the trip yesterday, I realized my set of keys, car, two house and mailbox key, are not in my purse. I think they probably fell out at my friend's house, but I don't know for sure, so I don't know if I'll ever get them back. Thankfully, my brother was at home when we arrived so I could get in.

I have a spare car and house keys, but not the one for the mailbox. I thought I would have to get the lock off and take it to a locksmith to create a new key. I turns out it is against the law to remove the mailbox lock. Somebody told me that the post office has a copy for all mailboxes and can give me a copy. This is also not true, at least for the cluster-mailboxes in the residential neighbourhoods. I then read somewhere online that there is a lock code inside each mailbox, and that I could, with a mirror and flashlight, read that code if the mailman opens the mailbox for me from the other side, and then just take that code to a locksmith to create a new key. Also not true. Apparently, replicating mailbox keys is also against the law.

So, what is one to do when the mailbox key is lost?

Call the local post office.

They don't have keys to individual residential mailboxes, but you can put an order for them to put in a new lock and give you a set of (3) new keys. This little service will cost you $25.

I don't even know why I need the mailbox. I now wonder if I could just cancel all my mail, like Kramer tried in Seinfeld. :)

Cat on the Roof

Last night I was awaken by a loud noise. It was coming from somewhere above, the attic, or the roof maybe.

I thought it must be another rodent that got into the attic and was now caught in the mouse trap. I wasn't happy with it. I instantly started thinking of the unpleasant task of having to remove it in the morning. I was upset thinking how it was able to get into the attic in the first place. The banging and scratching sound continued, so I pictured it now desperately moving around, with the trap still attached to it. And the noise continued.

After few minutes I was fully awake, still trying to figure out where the noise is coming from. It now sounded it was coming from a different corner of the ceiling, not where the mouse trap was set up. It seemed it was near the window.

I finally got up. It was 3.55 am.

I walked over to the window, and the sound now seemed to be coming from the roof under-eave. The smashing and scratching was really loud. I decided to walk outside. As I approached the other window, I saw a cat on the roof. In the middle of the night. It was just sitting there at the very top. She ran away when she saw me. Now I understood she was probably chasing something.

Once on the porch, the thing was obviously scratching against some metal. I first thought it might have been a raccoon or opossum stuck in the grill, so I approached with caution. But, it wasn't the grill, it was the gutter downspout! Something got stuck inside! The cat must have chased it, and then it, a bird, rat, or a squirrel, tumbled down to the gutter and straight down the downspout.

The animal was somewhere in the middle. I started tapping, and it hissed at me. I was hoping it will eventually slide down if I continue tapping. Instead, it started climbing up. After few moments, it made it almost to the lower of the two elbows on the downspout, from what I could tell by touching the metal. And then it was moving less and less, until it completely stopped.

There is a screw in that area that attaches the downspout to the strap and to the wall. I thought that maybe the screw goes all the way through the cylinder, and that the thing is either stuck in that narrowing, or is now tired and is just resting on top of that screw in the middle of the opening. I decided to try to get the screw out and 'help' the animal slide all the way down.

I got the drill, and started unscrewing. It was a short screw, and once the strap was separated, the screw flew away into the grass. I turned the porch lights on (yes, all of this I was doing just under the moonlight). Searching through the grass for the screw at 4.30 in the morning.

That is when I realized how ridiculous I was.

I went back into the house and tried to go back to sleep and ignore the still occasional noise coming from just the other side of my bedroom wall. I was thinking of how I'd have to call the animal control in the morning because I don't want a dead animal sitting in the gutter for days.

I don't know what happened next.

In the morning, I poked with a stick on the lower end of the downspout and from the top, and only got few hairs (now I am pretty sure it wasn't a bird). If there was anything inside, it was still in the vertical part where I couldn't reach in. I figured, if the squirrel is still there, there is nothing inside to hold it when it dies, and it will just fall down.

But I think the thing got out.

I really hope so.

15 Years

May 1st, fifteen years ago, I entered into a new life of being a Catholic Christian.

I was baptized, confirmed and received my first communion in a little, former shoe store, church in Sarajevo. It was during the war, and my life was transformed forever after just four months of first entering that building....(more maybe in another post)

This picture was taken on that day during a little celebration at a friend's appartment with whom I share the same Godmother. We still had plastic sheets on the windows (background).

Every year I try to remember this event in some way, but this year I decided to celebrate it a bit more.

I was originally hoping to have one of my priest friends, Fr. Harry, over for a house blessing and invite friends over to a party. But, since he was not available on that day, I only kept the party part of that plan.

During the day, I celebrated Mass at the St. Mary's cathedral. It also happened to be the feast of St. Joseph (the worker) that day, so it was even more festive. We also witnessed a very humble wedding during that Mass, which lasted no more than five minutes, which was an unusual addition.

In the evening, I had friends over for a "birthday" game party. Some mature and some newly formed friendships. It meant a lot to me to celebrate this day with all of you who helped me grow further over these years. Thank you for your company and your friendships!

What’s Cooking?

The Easter meal menu:
- chicken noodle soup,
- pork tenderloin
- “pekarski” baked potatoes,
- “Vasina torta” cake, and
- chardonnay.

And it smelled and tasted even better than it looks.

Hm, hmm yummy!



Happy Easter, everyone!

Lost Battle

There was another massacre in the backyard.

This time, it was obvious that the bird didn’t win the battle. :(