Thursday, May 17, 2012

Home Invasion!

First, here's something that I made yesterday. A colourful Churn Dash, for the lovely Felicity.  We'll see each other tonight at the VMQG meeting, so I figured I might as well save a couple bucks postage and hand-deliver her block!

Stash Trad May by Poppyprint

We're in the Stash Trad virtual quilting bee, where each month we make a traditional block with modern fabrics from our own stash, according to the queen bee's specs. I think Felicity is going to end up with a fabulously fun quilt. The Churn Dash is one of my all time fav traditional blocks.

And now, a story.

We had some excitement chez Poppyprint at 6:00 a.m. this morning. I awoke to a strange, yet familiar sound. Like a box of lego being dumped out on the carpet. Our window was open, so at first I thought maybe it was outside. Then I heard the unmistakable click-click of the dog door flap. Suddenly I was wide awake and realized the first sound was the large bin of dog food tipping over. ALERT! ALERT! RACCOON IN THE KITCHEN!!!  Our 12 pounds of pain-in-the-ass miniature dachshund sleeps in a basket in the corner of our room and I think he and I realized what was going on at precisely the same time. He charged down the stairs ahead of me in full panicky growl-mode, but stopped short of turning the corner into the kitchen when I gave him a stern NO (he suffered a 2:00 a.m. raccoon-attack two years ago in our backyard after letting himself out for a pee).  I am sure the smell is all too familiar to him and while he was anxious to protect his house, I'm sure he wasn't keen to repeat that painful night right there in the kitchen!  Luckily,  all that was left of our cheeky intruder was grass on the kitchen floor and muddy footprints all over the dog food bin.  I guess we'll have to keep the dog door covered at night now.  I'm certain this is the same varmint who was crapping in our back yard every night for a week recently. Euw.

Coupled with a crow robbing another crow's nest and actually eating a juvenile bird on my front lawn yesterday (double EUWWWWW!), it's a bad episode of Wild Kingdom going on right here! In the fall, we had to cover the slope in our front yard with chicken wire to prevent the skunks from digging dens every night. It's a takeover, people! 

It won't be long till the black bears are wandering our street at dusk. I predict they'll be down in a few weeks once some berries are in. Anyone up for a visit to the wilds of North Vancouver?

26 comments:

The Calico Cat said...

YEP - On June 6th! :o)

Amy Friend said...

Oh no! We have racoon and opposum problems routinely (in our barn) but so far they haven't found a way into the house thank goodness!!! What a pain to have to cover the door each night. It's worth it though!

Katie B said...

Dah! And I was just wishing I lived in Vancouver so I could go to the quilt guild with you and Felicity...but, nope! I'm good here!

♥Duff said...

Ah yes, I am here as counsel on behalf of said Raccoon. My client respectfully denies any and all allegations put forth by either you or your four-footed traveling flea circus and wishes that I inform you of his intention to sue for slander of his good, masked name.
Have a nice day.

Heather D. said...

Eek! Sounds very interesting there in Van. What we've been seeing lately is snakes. Yuck.

Lovely churn dash blocks. :)

Ariane said...

Love your blocks!!! I'm sure glad that it was not my house being invaded by a raccoon. They can make the biggest mess of things. Glad it was out before you came down.

Nina Lise@Mrs Moen said...

The only creatures that have entered our house is the occational cat and a bird, unless house spiders count as wildlife. Those nightly visitors do not sound like much fun!
Love your block, especially the orange/purple which is my favorite colour combo.

Kirsty @ Bonjour Quilts said...

Racoons, skunks and bears? Yikes. And they say the wildlife in Australia is dangerous.
That block is so happy - I can't not smile while I look at it!

Mrs Flying Blind... said...

All action stations with you!!

Susan said...

I was thinking like Kirsty- at least most Aussie creatures stay out in the bush where they belong, except for an occasional invading possum!! Love the churn dash block !

dutchcomfort said...

Oh I would love some excitement here! The greapiest creature that was brought into the house was a mouse, caught my our cat!

Is there a reason that those animals come to find food in your houses?

Danielle said...

Oh my goodness! How funny (or not). I love hearing about wildlife stories in different parts of the world. We occasionally have a kangaroo hopping down the street but I'd doubt one would fit through a dog door!!

paulette said...

Battle stations...WHAT in North Van?? I live out in the country and am lucky to see a rabbit now and then!! Wow!!
Hey, love those blocks! I also LOVE the churn dash block...would like a whole quilt of them...someday!!
P

Nicola said...

I just had my husband clean up a whole nest of birds that fell out onto our balcony. So sad and makes me so squeamish. I do not like the wildlife coming into the house and our dog would so the same as yours although he does fancy himself as a hedgehog hunter!

Katy Cameron said...

I'd say it was better in the city, but we seem to have fornicating birds, especially seagulls and pigeons, everywhere!

Katie said...

Ok I've never had a raccoon in my kitchen, but I've had bears galore in my backyard, and once a cougar! I don't live to far from you, just a ferry ride away in Gibsons! I really really wish the ferry ran later at night, so I could get to a VMQG meeting, it sounds like you all have too much fun!

Leanne said...

Wow, lotus land is sounding a bit untamed these days, do be careful. Hard to believe that you live in such a big city and all.

Sandi said...

We once had a pregnant racoon in our bedroom!!! You are a much better storyteller than me though. Love the churn dashes!
Sandi
sahill@telus.net

Sandi said...

Hi Krisata,

I saw 3 sea lions in the Fraser River a couple of weeks ago enjoying the morning fishing...I've already "enjoyed" the scent of a couple of skunks on my way to work driving through Vancouver in the early hours.

Even saw a coyote on the flats along Marine Drive in Burnaby.

Spring in Vancouver...full of the wild life!

Sandi H. also in New Westminster!

Jo Ann said...

we have the bear in area signs up all over my neighbourhood. we saw racoons on the weekend. I agree with euw to wild kingdom in the yard.

felicity said...

Big-time ICK about the crow "situation". You're making me glad we didn't buy on the North Shore!! I do love my churn dashes - thank you for your beautiful (and perfectly pieced!) block Krista.

felicity said...

p.s. Duff's comment made me laugh out loud.

Lesly said...

Oh raccoons! They are incorrigible! Glad you didn't have to come face to face with him in your kitchen!

Elsa said...

I know that it's not a laughing matter, but the way you've written about it made me giggle! So descriptive.
We had racoons under our house and gosh, they sure do make a racket!

Dianne said...

You crack me up!!! Wild kingdom indeed. Loved Katy's fornicating birds comment. So glad we live south of Keith where the bears don't seem to know we exist and the birds are more discreet!! Great churndash blocks BTW.

Live a Colorful Life said...

Yowsers on the Animal Kingdom antics taking place at your house! And the blocks are beautiful!