Just a little bit Country

My Dad jokes when he tells people where we live.  He says go to the Oklahoma border and come back 10 miles.  I admit that we are "north" but I never think of us as living in the sticks.  You all thought that we were crazy 6 years ago when we moved to McKinney.  There was not a single stop sign on Custer between Main Street and Hwy 380.  Now there are 3 lights and some dangerous intersections that should be lights as well.  That is a completely different topic.  So when we moved last year, I knew we would hear it all over again.  And deal with some of the same "issues" of living in an area that has not been commercially developed.  

We had a little bit of an ice storm at the old house.  When we came home, the small fridge in the garage was open as well as about 6 beers that were frozen.  It was a beautiful mess.  The other great part was the 3 little mice that came in from the cold and literally frozen to death in the garage.  I was okay with it because it was still "outside".  They had not penatrated the inside of the house. 

Fast forward a couple of years to last winter.  I am in the kitchen at this house and I hear a straching noise above me.  I look around and the kids are in the living room.  It can't be them.  So I let it go.  It came back, and back, and back. I was totally freaking out.  I got the broom out and banged it on the ceiling as if I was disgruntal with my upstairs neighbors.  It passed.  The next night, same time it started again.  I called Chad and he was annoyed to say the least.  I'm on the phone saying "You don't hear that?"  And finally he was like "Is that the noise?"  YES!!!  "Oh, man"  He could acutally hear the noise over the phone if that tells you how loud it was.  He said call the pest people.  

For those of you that do not know my husband well, this was an odd statement.  We rarely call anyone out to fix or take care of anything.  Chad is extremely handy.  He can fix just about anything.  He changed the brakes on my car this month.  We do 90% of the labor ourselves so for him to say, "Call the pest company"  I was a little taken back.  It is good to know that my big weakness is also his.  MICE, SNAKES, and other unidentafiable animals.  So I call and they can't come out for a couple of days!  WTH!!! A couple of days.  That's it.  I'm checking into a hotel, motel, someone else's home.  Can not deal.  I don't but I would if money was no object.  

The lovely pest people come and point out all of the openings in my house where our friends could have made their entrance.  He showes me all kinds of little "dirt" drops that are left overs from our friends.  He says that it is most likely just a bunch of field mice.  They don't like the cold and the house is warm.  He sets $100 in traps.  We discuss the straching and he too thinks I am crazy.  He didn't see any signs of anything other than mice.  Whatever, dude.  I know what I heard.  

The following day, Chad was off of work and we were dining on some not so fine local pizza.  And we heard it.  And I am glad that I have a witness.  It was as if someone was on the second floor of the house, between the walls and dropped a small dog between the 2x4s and the sheetrock.  It sounded like a pinball machine.  We just looked at each other in shock.  There was something.  The only positive is that if the house started to stink, we would know where to start ripping down the drywall. 

So why am I telling you all of this.  Because it is that time of year again.  It has cooled down and my friends have made their apperance again.  I went into the attic last night and walk right out.  I did (and have done for the last year) the Girl Scout thing.  You know when you turn on the lights, knock on the door, and make as much noise as possible to let whatever is on the other side of the door know that you are coming in and to MOVE OUT OF SIGHT.  Two little friends died together on a sticky pad some time in the last week. Little Romeo and Juilette met there faith,  and Chad.  I sent him right up to deal with it.  He has to do the dirty work.  I just can not do it. 

We will be making another trip to Home Depot this weekend to stock up on supplies.  I don't care if it cost $3000.  This is one expense that I will not gripe about.  All because we live just a little bit in the country.