Hospitality Withdrawn!!

Surprise was in store a couple of mornings ago when I stepped out of the back porch. This enclosed little room is attached to the house and part of the garage. Pink insulation was all over the steps. I keep my birdseed in a metal bin within the porch. Besides leaving stinky heaps of raccoon poo on the porch roof, the little bandit had also tried to rip it's way into the porch. Enough already!!

I don't want the expense or inconvenience of having a big roll-up garage door installed just to keep the raccoons out. So I'm trying another method. I've heard that raccoons don't like noise nor the smell of household ammonia. Before dark each evening, I turn on a radio in the garage and let it play all night long. The station tuned to is entirely talk shows. I also draw a rope across the garage entrance on which two pieces of ammonia-drenched rags hang. 

So far, the deterrents seem to be working. On yesterday's hike to our bush lot, raccoon tracks led away from the house, back the lane and into the woods. Yay-y-y!! Of course, I've removed all raccoon-accessible bird feeders as well.

A raccoon had shredded the pink insulation on the back porch's roof.

I hope the radio and the ammonia soaked rags deter raccoons from the garage.

Raccoon tracks heading for our bush lot.

Floods Up! The Dalgleish drain emptying into the Allan drain.

My Eastern Screech Owl awaits his evening hunt.

Did a rival tom cat connect with your nose, Romeo?

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The grocery store in the village of Osgoode was out of portobello mushrooms so I paid a visit to local grower, Carleton Mushroom Farms. I asked for a flat of portobellos and a worker harvested them while I waited. As soon as I got home, I sliced and cooked them all. I had a feast, then wrapped and froze single portions for later. That was my first but definitely not my last visit to that source!

Nineteen freshly picked portobello mushrooms. Yummers!

Also, I made a batch of Banana Walnut Ice Cream. Completely plant-based and absolutely delicious.