Animal Friends

There are 2 types of people in this world, animal lovers and NON animal lovers. I have never known where I fit into those classes...until tonight. I once saw a remodel show on HGTV. A couple was finishing their attic. During this process they found out they had bats somewhere up there. This particular woman went to all extremes and all expenses to make sure the bats were not harmed in anyway. They ended up having some sort of bat house made for them.

I distinctly remember thinking, I like animals like the rest of them, but would I really build them a house. And further more, would I care if they die...they're bats???

Well, my eyes are clearer now. You see, we live in the forest. No, literally in the woods. We are in the more suburb part of town, but still there are all sorts of forest creatures around. I thought we had squirrels in California, but it is nothing compared to this place. I can look out any window of my house at any time of DAY and see a good 10 squirrels or chipmunks. In fact, I am quite confident that they throw acorns at me at times. But that is definitely not all. We've seen deer prints in our yard. The other day I opened my garbage lid to toss another bag in there when I noticed that the bag currently IN the garbage had holes in it from some animal that had weaseled his way into our garbage can. And gratefully we have only heard, not seen the bears that apparently frequent the celery farm that is less than a mile up the street. (this is where I say, holy crap what would I do if I saw a bear!!! Hey Bennett, play dead, buddy!)

So now to tonight when I find out what side of the fence I am on, animals or no animals. As you can see our house has trees coming up all around it, pretty close to it...within a chipmunk's small jump.

Our office is on the second floor, window facing the back, but it has a similar roof landing below it. The other day I told Ty that as I was on the computer at night I could hear the chipmunks' pitter-patter on our roof. I didn't mind, they are outside. It's not surprising with the trees so close.

So tonight, Ty is at work. I am in the same place, in the office. Lights are off, except the computer screen shining in my face and I am checking out your blogs when I hear the same pitter-patter. Now, directly in front of me is a closet that oddly enough didn't have doors when we purchased the home. However, this closet does have a "black hole" or "black abyss" that was left (along with all it's charm). This is a hole in the ceiling of the closet where heating pipes are going up to our room. It is hidden, but I'll admit it is creepy. It has an opening about a foot wide. So I stop and listen for a second.

That is weird, that time it sounded like it was above me? But, the only thing above me is MY bedroom. There's the noise again. It sounds like it is on pipes. I look up into the closet...HOLY CRAP!! I am squinting to see into the darkness and a flippin chipmunk is in my closet scurrying around my cleaning rags! It was a little one. He thought he was all alone in the house. And so did I! HELLO, anyone ever seen Over the Hedge. Well, that is my current life!

We had a short stare-down then I had to make a little noise to get him out of here. Not 20 seconds later he came back. That meant it was my turn to leave. I made a run for it, closed the door and called Tyler, scared to death. Of course, being at work his hands were tied. (If I had a nickle for every time he were at work in the night when emergencies happen, yes emergencies like a chipmunk in the house, but unfortunately accounting firms pay in pennies, not nickles.) So it is just me and the chipmunk. Luckily, Christian had been playing with a handheld mesh strainer that I saw just before I opened the door and grabbed it, just in case. I slowly opened the door, making as much noise as possible hoping I wouldn't really have to face it. It worked. Alvin was no where to be seen, or heard. Phew.

So I braved the walk to the computer. Turned on i-tunes as loudly as possible without waking up the kids and only yelled at the closet twice, "You stay in there, you dirty rat!"

So. Now I am just wondering if this is going on in my basement...

Where do you think I am? On the animal side or non-animal side? Where would you be?