Mice Musings part 2

2 little critters were waiting for us, one in the storeroom under the stairs, the other on the east side of the fireplace behind the wood pile. The old fashioned snap traps seem to be most effective and we need another dozen. Not much evidence of activity otherwise, most noticeable were the 'tracks' on the floor in the east bedroom and bathroom. I took the vacum and went to work on the floors and think there aren't any 'tracks' in evidence except possibly in the storeroom where I didn't clean.
There just might be something to the sonic devices in place in the kitchen and west bedroom since there was no sign of critter activity in those areas. We might need several more, including by the heater whenever we can get into that area. I have to woonder, what do they do about visiting critters back in the Empire State?
Speaking of cleaning, we need a new vacum filter. I cleaned out the existing filter but it's had a good workout. The vacum brush is clean and ready to go.

About the Front Porch...

No tunnel for us. We came in from the east side down to the top porch railing.

Yikes, look out the windows!

Last month the snow was level with the bottom of the bedroom window. Now it's almost level with the center.
And, haven't yet dug out the snow against the barn doors, might not this trip.

Snow? Sorry Colorado, go to the Sierras

Yep, even more snow than last month, see last night's snow on the railing. Fortunately it snowed because when we drove up yesterday afternoon it rained all the way until the summit between Shaver Lake turnoff and Dinkey. This picture was taken about 8am and by 10:30 the snow is already dropping from the trees as it warms up. The snow was just about level with the eves of the pumphouse, look for that picture tomorrow. We stopped at Shaver and bought a tarp to cover the suitcases on the sled yesterday and by the time we arrived at the cabin there were several inches of very heavy wet snow on the top. No stopping to dig the camera out from it's dry little home under the tarp.
Sourdough pancakes with bacon and eggs for breakfast and enough coffee, bread,butter and steak in the freezer for the rest of the season, and next year. All is well.

As You Were

The smoldering log was removed and the fireplace damper has been closed and the front of the fireplace has been swept.

OOPS not so fast

The nearly foot of snow overnite buried our car. So we had some digging to do -- I forgot a shovel but we borrowed the blade from the broken snow shovel from the cabin, which was better than nothing. What did not help was the expensive Range Rover some "kindly" soul had parked just in front of us. I had to back up to be able to get out.




As we were walking out, this big monster was coming along the road. He kindly waited to let us down the bank and across the road before he blasted the snow up the hill where we had been.


And maybe we have the mousie problem licked -- they are running for their lives away from the cabin. About halfway between the summit and Shaver Lake, I saw a mouse running along the side of the road toward Shaver. Maybe he's headed for Mill Valley.

And back to the real world

We have to leave this morning (to get home in time for the Super Bowl). There was a bit more snow so we're hoping we can get the car out ok. Meanwhile, the sheets upstairs are clean again and the damper is NOT closed because the fireplace is still warm. We are leaving 3 eggs (thank you for the rest), most of the tomatoes, the potatoes and avocado and 3 brownies in the freezer. We ate and/or tossed the lettuce and spinach and I put the bread (both partial loaves) into the freezer. We're trying to leave it all as clean as we found it.