Good morning sibs, cuzzes, pals et al....
You know...
I couldn't make this stuff up if I tried.
As vivid as my immagination is..even it will not stretch quite this far.
First the background:
Hillsdale is a rural village of under a thousand souls half way between Midland and Barrie Ontario (N/S) and also half way between Orillia and Wasaga Beach Ontario(E/W).
While we have new subdivision built within the past 5 years, most of the town dates to Victoriana circa 1880, with some of the architecture dating to Confederation (1867)
We are surrounded by a reforested area of second and third growth trees, on the base of a peninsula which juts out into Georgian Bay.
We are on the migratory path for birds, a summer nesting area, and the local large wildlife includes bears, raccoons, groundhogs, lynx, coyotes, wolves, deer and moose.
This not even mentioning the small critters.
I have a cat!
Some of you know her as Tabbitha Twitchitt, and others know her intimately as BizzyBits.
Tabbie and one of our local wild denizens have an ongoing relationship...
Actually it's an ongoing war!
The sunroom on this house has been under assault lately by bandits, and is at the moment no longer 'critter proof' which has led to the recent spate of stories about raccoons and bumblers inviting themselves in to join us at the hearth.
To add insult to injury, red squirrels have chewed a hole through the frame of the north door, with one exit in the door itself and one in the baseboard.
The squirrels have long since been relocated and no longer pose a threat, but......
Between the squirrels and the raccoons..fortress Hillsdale has been under siege.
Now..The sunroom is not normally used except in the summer time.
The door into the house is usually closed.
However...
In the summer it is my habit to work at the computer with the door open so I can observe the world around me.
BizzyBits, an inside cat, takes this opportunity to sit out in the porch on an upholstered wicker armchair, mistress of all she surveys.
For the past 2 years a rather bold and brassy little chipmunk has been teasing the heck out of her.
Chippy will stick his head in through the squirrel hole and 'chut' at her and when she runs over will deke back out again.
If the porch door isn't open..Chippy will go to the back window and sit on the honeysuckle bush and call for her.
If BizzyBits isn't in the porch he will come to the threshold of the den look in and 'chut' for her until she comes to chase him.
As soon as BizzyBits runs to the sun room..Chippie will disappear out the squirrel hole and reappear in my KITCHEN through a second squirrel route.
Did I mention that this house was built in 1884?
Definitely not critter proof.
As soon as BizzyBits runs to the kitchen....
Chippy disappears and reappears at the north end of sun room...
And so it goes..day after day after day.
Well today...
Chippy was a bit slow!
BizzyBits came barreling in through the inner door, into the den, with Chippy in her mouth and headed straight up the back stairs to the second story...
Marcel ran up the backstairs..
I ran up the front stairs as the back stairs are now too steep and....
We found Chippy and BizzyBits playing tag in OUR bedroom.
Chippy got loose..
Chippy was under the dry sink...
Marcel moved the dry sink...
Chippy ran behind the oak curved-top trunk....
(Did I mention that all the furniture is circa 1820 or older and heavy as iron?)
BizzyBits ran behind the trunk
Chippy ran under the dry sink..
Marcel moved the dry sink...
Chippy ran under the bed...
BizzyBits ran under the bed (four poster circa 1810)..
Chippy ran under the dresser...
BizzyBits headed for the dresser..
Chippy ran out the door and down the stairs
BizzyBits raced down the stairs...
By the time we got back downstairs...
Chippy was gone and BizzyBits was lying down...waiting for the next round no doubt.
Less than twenty minutes later....
Chippy is in the porch 'chutting' for BizzyBits to come and play.
Now I ask you......
Is the sun over the yardarm yet?
Please say yes.
Tags: Critters
