of mice and pumpkins

Well, the last few days do not really rival John Steinbeck, but there were travails.

Early in the week, we learnt our oven is not working any longer. Not a good year at Hacienda Rooster this year for enamelled metal. Many appliances and and mechanical devices have been replaced this year. It looks like the stove is the latest to jump in line. Last week the electric kettle died. They last no more than a year usually. One lasted about two years. Woo-hoo!

The dead oven does not bode well, but I will get to that yet. The boy was telling the wife that he can hear the mice in the walls again. When the weather turns in the fall, the mice come in to the attic and get in to the walls. As far as we know, they have never gotten in to the house proper though.

A few years back, one mouse got in to the cold room and took a bite out of every soft packaged food item, even the Kool-Aid Jammers. Then, poof, it was gone. No sign of it it ever again. We figured it came in to the house from the garage when we were moving stuff back and forth. Recently, another mouse must have done the same. One day when I was refilling the sunflower feeder for the birds, I noticed a ton of hulls in the bag. Odd? Then we were moving some stuff around and found more hulls piled up, then a cache of seeds. I have since dispensed with this mouse, but we keep finding caches throughout the basement.

As far was we know, there are no other mice in the basement, but I still have some boobytraps set up for any that may still be lurking about. Now, these jokers in the walls. They most likely come in from the garage and then in to the attic from around the chimney. We bought some "snacks" for them yesterday and the boy and I threw them up in to the attic today. However, the ladder is a bit short. My taller one is in the shed with the wasps. So I tried whipping them across the attic. Success was variable. Then I set one last one up in the basement as added security.

The last step was a tin cat with peanut butter in it on the garage floor. If any of these wiseguys lands in there, they will find themselves in the Marlborough Forest jiffy quick. So, that is the mice so far, but I know I need to get more snacks. I will need to keep this up for at least a couple of weeks.

With all the mouse hullabaloo done for now, I set to work to get some stuff together for the boy's costume. He is going as Indiana Jones He was not so very helpful at all. So, we have everything now: boots, pants, multiple belts, holster, revolver, whip, shirt, jacket, hat, and satchel. The only thing that may bite us, is if it rains on Tuesday. The jacket is actually suede, so not good in water.

Since he was so grumpy with the costume, he was not consulted at all over the pumpkins, four of them. One was easy, the wife got a BB8 "pumpkin push-in" kit. Done. Number two, did it all freehand. It had a scar on the flesh, so it became a scar of a missing eye. Easy-peasy, nice-and-easy, lemon-squeezy. Three, was a tall one, used the stalk for a nose. Bam. Number four, the wife drew what she wanted, pretty good. Finished jiffy quick. The fasted I have ever emptied and carved pumpkins.

Now, what to do with these seeds? No oven, remember? I looked online on how to do it another way. I figured it would be in a skillet. Found this on the interweb. It was the best of the instructions found. I have done two batches. They are okay. The seeds do not really pop. They are moister than in the oven too. Again, not bad, but I think they need to be eaten right quick so they do not go off. Not a problem for me, I love pumpkin seeds. Especially when I do them myself. At least one or two more batches to do though.

The great thing about the pumpkins when halloween is done, we can take them to Ray's Reptiles. They will use them to feed various critters, like the tortoises.

Well, I need to call a couple of appliance guys tomorrow to see if it may be worth fixing this junky oven. I will ask if they have any refurbs too. The wife will try to find a new stove cheap as well; a little more difficult now that Sears Canada is down the drain. I still need to get a wasp exterminator too! Oh, and I need to go to the dentist for my first prosthetic dental fitting. And a new night-guard for sleeping; I am apparently eating it in my sleep. There are several pieces now missing from it.

Almost forgot, the iron removing doohickey on the water softener appears to not be working. I need to call about that too!

Anyway, I need to finish the pumpkin seeds and get organised for tomorrow, send out some Scout emails, blah, blah, blah. Then I am going to have a nightcap and turn in. Shotgun start tomorrow. blbbl