Social Status of Early Retirees

[Martha]

I am a dog person, not a cat person. Our neighborhood has zillions of cats roaming around. One would hide near my bird feeders to catch the birdies. I stopped feeding birds for a while and eventually moved the feeders.

The neighbor couldn't stand all the cats pooping in his kids' sandbox. He started trapping them and bring them to the pound. Helped quite a bit I admit.

The funny thing is we have much more problems with wildlife in the city than when I was growing up in the country. Bears stealing from feeders. Cats. Skunks. Pigeons. Squirrels. Racoons. Starlings.

My DH traps squirrels in the live trap. After he traps them, he puts peanut butter on the end of the barrel of his pellet rifle. They lick the barrel and it takes only one clean shot.

 

[LEX]

As my medically focused DW would have stated the at this point in the discourse: is the subject of this toxicity threshold experiment allergic to the operative allergins often found in peanut butter or reacting on an autonomic level to the diffusive and probable hemmoragic cranial trauma associated with sublingually administered high velocity lead exposure.

 

[Spanky]

The funny thing is we have much more problems with wildlife in the city than when I was growing up in the country. Bears stealing from feeders. Cats. Skunks. Pigeons. Squirrels. Racoons. Starlings.

We have problems with chipmunk, deer and rabbit. The Chipmunk likes to create holes in the yard. The deers and rabbits eat up the flowers. We like to use a live-trap to transport the chipmunk but not sure what to do about deers and rabits.

Spanky

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

We're both cat and dog people.

I've found that other wildlife do the same things that cats do, sometimes less pleasantly. Most of the 'problems' cats create are easily resolved.

In the meanwhile, our catless neighbors have rats burrowing in their hot-tub insulation, scurrying around in their attic, etc. I've never seen a live rat on our property. At my old house my neighbors had terrible problems with voles and moles wrecking their landscaping. I didnt have a vole or a mole anywhere to be seen.

Put the bird feeders where the cats cant get at them, and spray a little 'cat away' around the sandbox...or get rid of it...sandboxes are notoriously excellent homes for all sorts of unhealthy stuff.

 

[dougdo]

I thought it was revealing that, according to this survey, social status in America is determined soley by your education and job, how much you have, how much you make. Apparently we don't value good works, community involvement, your relations with your family or your neighbor or even a good haircut.

This is why I'm moving to Costa Rica.

 

[retire@40]

...not sure what to do about deers and rabits.

They make fer some good eatin'

 

[Spanky]

I thought it was revealing that, according to this survey, social status in America is determined soley by your education and job, how much you have, how much you make. Apparently we don't value good works, community involvement, your relations with your family or your neighbor or even a good haircut.

Good point. They are valued, but how do they rate them?

 

[unclemick]

Once FIRED - my social status - Free!!! - as in none of the above.

 

[laurence]

My DH traps squirrels in the live trap. After he traps them, he puts peanut butter on the end of the barrel of his pellet rifle. They lick the barrel and it takes only one clean shot.

Martha, eeeww!! Poor little squirrel!! I mean, I'm not a vegitarian so anything I say at this point may sound hypocritical, but the little buggers are just so cute, I see bambi's friend inserted into that Gurenica painting by Picasso....

 

[REWahoo]

Martha, eeeww!! Poor little squirrel!! I mean, I'm not a vegitarian so anything I say at this point may sound hypocritical, but the little buggers are just so cute, ...

Furry-tailed rats...

 

[Spanky]

They are cute until they start eating your plants and digging holes in your yard.

Spanky

 

[Mr._johngalt]

Jumping back to the doggie doo comments. We live in a "free poop" zone, i.e. the dogs poop where they please and as far as I know this causes no problems with the neighbors. Some of the "city folk" seem a little nervous when they first buy
property here (probably used to lots of rules and regs).
Anyway, I never followed a dog and picked up their messes in
my life, and do not plan to start. I also do not use a leash,
even if we happen to be in a park that requires it. It's no fun for me
or the dog. OTOH, I have a big fat lazy Lab, so the only way she would hurt anyone is if she rolled over on their foot

JG

 

[Martha]

They are cute until they start eating your plants and digging holes in your yard.

Spanky

And eating the wooden frames of your windows. A healthy squirrel population requires a preditor. My DH fullfills that role.

TH, on the farm we always had barn cats to keep down the rodent population. I do wonder though whether feral and outside cats effect the song bird population. Probably glass windows on buildings kill more birds. BTW, the "cat hunting" law in Wisconsin didn't pass. But in Minnesota, you can kill feral cats.

My FIL years ago tired of rabbits raiding his garden. He would open his back window and shoot the rabbits with a 22. Once a neighbor called police, and reported him for shooting cats. The police came, FIL denied it, and nothing ever happened.

 

[laurence]

Yowsers! A pellet gun is one thing but a .22 might leave a mark if the barrel came up to high! Hope the neighbors aren't too close! The biggest animal in my yard is the lizards. They don't chew on the wooden frames, at least not yet.

 

[Martha]

My FIL lived right in the city, in a nice neighborhood. Lucky he didn't shoot anyone. Or anyone's cats.

We used to own the apartment building across the street from us. My DH was tired of all the pigeons. He put up all sorts of pigeon barriers but they were stilll a problem. One evening he went over there and picked off a bunch with the pellet gun. I was mortified. Not about the pigeons, but that he would (1) get caught walking around with what looks like a rifle (2) shoot someone's eye out.

Eventually, Merlins moved in a thinned out the pigeon population.

I am told that the way to rid yourself of too many pigeons is to soak corn in whiskey and lay it out for the pigeons. They will eat it, get drunk, and be unable to fly. You can then wring their necks.

Judging from my posts on this thread, you can guess my social status might be white trash.

 

[retire@40]

One evening he went over there and picked off a bunch with the pellet gun.  I was mortified.  Not about the pigeons, but that he would (1) get caught walking around with what looks like a rifle (2) shoot someone's eye out. 

You may have watched "A Christmas Story" one too many times.

I am told that the way to rid yourself of too many pigeons is to soak corn in whiskey and lay it out for the pigeons.  They will eat it, get drunk, and be unable to fly.  You can then wring their necks.

If you ever do this, could you please video-tape yourself and upload it as a link here?  I may even consider paying to watch you do that.

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

I never followed a dog and picked up their messes in
my life, and do not plan to start. I also do not use a leash,
even if we happen to be in a park that requires it. It's no fun for me
or the dog.

Sorry in advance JG, but this is from the heart. Actually, no, i'm not sorry.

Ah, so you're one of those a-holes. Guess what, I step in your dogs crap all the time at the park, and you and your dogs having fun off-leash in a leash-required area makes the walk very un-fun for me and my dogs. My dogs are properly trained and realize they are controlled on a leash. When they see an unleashed dog, they feel its a potential threat. While you know what your dog will and wont do, me and my dogs dont. I end up with a very upset and concerned pair of 100+lb dogs and have to go put them back in the car and go home and wash the dog crap off my shoes and my car floor mats.

Very un-fun for everyone else.

Why am I not surprised?

 

[haha]

Sorry in advance JG, but this is from the heart.  Actually, no, i'm not sorry.

Ah, so you're one of those a-holes.  Guess what, I step in your dogs crap all the time at the park, and you and your dogs having fun off-leash in a leash-required area makes the walk very un-fun for me and my dogs.  My dogs are properly trained and realize they are controlled on a leash.  When they see an unleashed dog, they feel its a potential threat.  While you know what your dog will and wont do, me and my dogs dont.  I end up with a very upset and concerned pair of 100+lb dogs and have to go put them back in the car and go home and wash the dog crap off my shoes and my car floor mats.

Very un-fun for everyone else.

Why am I not surprised?

I am 100% in agreement here. People who walk dogs and don't pick up the crap, or have their dogs off-leash in a leash area are scofflaws and very inconsiderate narcissistic asses.

For a long time I kept the local animal control busy calling in every example I saw. Now when people see me coming they often run to hook up their monsters.

I am also very un-fond of asses who don't fence their dogs in rural areas. I like to walk for health and pleasure and I like to take my dog. My dog is very well trained- he doesn't ever bark and rarely even looks at other dogs. But when every pit-bull or Rotweiler owned and not trained by some junky thinks he has to attack my dog, it kind of ruins it for me.

My dog is old, and very peaceful. If an off-leash dog runs up on us he gets kicked hard, or he gets my umbrella or cane smashed across his nose.

A-hole dogs have a-hole owners.

A few dogs have met their end in my field-I couldn't tell that they weren't coyotes , and at the time I had livestock. I like dogs, but I really dislike crappy owners.

M

 

[BUM]

Doggy quarter pounders (with cheese) are an annoyance. Its all about population density. Miles between neighbors...no problem. Several families per acre... big problem.

BUM :

 

[Mr._johngalt]

You people need to lighten up. I love dogs, but have hardly owned a leash in my life and have NEVER picked up any doggie doo.
It's natural and will biodegrade quickly. This is one reason why we live in the country. As far as I know, almost everyone here has dogs and they all run loose much of the time. Fine with me.
I don't mind a little dog poo. If I had to pick it up and walk on a leash,
I wouldn't own a dog. No way!

JG

 

[Mr._johngalt]

And another thing.....

How about all of the wild critters around here? No one is picking up
their emissions. Where do they go? Answer: Nature takes care of it. Or how about cattle or horses out on the range? No one is cleaning up after them and yet........everything works out fine.
People who get all worked up about a few K9 Tootsie rolls need to get a life. They come across as Yuppie girlie men. Probably
liberals too.

JG

 

[P.S.]

People who get all worked up about a few K9 Tootsie rolls need to get a life.  They come across as Yuppie girlie men. 

In my experience, it is the men most comfortable with their background, degrees, net worth, height, and penis size who are the most considerate, kind and generous. They don't need to prove anything, especially through the medium of dog excrement.

But if random stool pockmarking the ground doesn't bother you, all the more power...You could even eliminate indoor plumbing. Imagine the expense you'd save. You'd only need to spring for toilet paper, and hey, that's biodegradable too...

Living in Italy and in my neighborhood did change my views on well-trained dogs not on leashes. Most of the lots are between 1-7 acres, so the dogs have the run of the lawn, and as long as you don't step on their property, just eye you warily barking an occasional warning. Although all "walked" dogs remain on leashes.

 

[unclemick]

Sooooo

The dog thing is like Real Estate - location, location, location.

Heh, heh, heh, heh.

Caught a French filmaker on Charlie Rose the other night. Was heeding the call of nature beside the road - when a State Patrol pulled over and pointed out - that's a no, no in America. Presumably a no. 1 - but could have been a no. 2.

 

[HFWR]

What's the last thing you hear before being bitten by a dog?

"Oh, (s)he doesn't bite..."

 

[Nords]

What's the last thing you hear before being bitten by a dog?
"Oh, (s)he doesn't bite..."

With apologies to Peter Sellers, the first thing you hear afterwards is:
"That eez not my dog..."