Thread Drift

[Crankin]

Well, the searing pain in my ear has abated, along with the swollen glands. I did ride yesterday. But, the tinnitus I have had on and off for 2 years has come back pretty badly. I think that is connected to the neck/back stuff I have going on, but who knows? No one could find any reason for the ear ringing 2 years ago, so I think it is definitely tied up with the ear/allergy thing, along with whatever structural issues i am having. I do have a hearing loss in that ear; nothing horrible, though.
Not sure how much longer I will go to PT; it's definitely not helping much with the neck/back and my therapist, while good, keeps saying little things that remind me of the cultural microaggressions I learned about last semester (won't go into that... he doesn't have a clue. I keep thinking about George's father on Seinfeld, who yelled, "anti-Semitic" every time he thought someone had said/done something negative to him).
I don't feel "sick" anymore, though.

[OakLeaf]

On and off for at least ten years I've tried to put up a bird feeder, but sooner or later the raccoons always got to it. Once they'd figure it out, there was no point in refilling it, because they'd completely empty it each night, and often destroy the feeder getting to it.

Two weeks ago I decided to take up the battle again. (The feed store says that bird seed sales have been through the roof, very unusual for them this time of year. Maybe it's the economy for some people - feeding birds is cheap entertainment - although that's not the issue for me. I just felt like watching them.)

New, heavy, sturdy feeder. New, taller pole. The raccoons got into it immediately. Moved it twice. They weren't able to destroy the feeder or get it off the pole, but they could empty it where it hung. As for the suet cage, they never went far with it, but several mornings I had to search quite a while (didn't want to find it by running over it with the lawnmower!).

The pole is metal, about a 3/4" square cross-section, tall enough that they can't reach the feeder from the ground, and far enough away from anything else. We never caught them actually climbing the pole - DH insisted that it was impossible for them to climb - but I saw no other explanation.

Two nights ago, at my wits' end, I came up with a simple, elegant solution.

I greased the pole with Vaseline. (Very slippery, not highly toxic, no food smells as a vegetable oil would have.)

For the second morning in a row, I've woken up to birds happily visiting an undisturbed feeder... and a pole covered with debris where raccoons had obviously tried to climb it. Haven't caught them in the act yet - I'd love to see them slipping down it, the little villains!

[crazycanuck]

I'm not sure if racoons have similar paws (??) to possums but...In NZ, all power lines have metal wrapped round them towards the bottom/middle. That might be another idea should you ever decide to give up on vaseline...

[OakLeaf]

The pole itself is metal.

With a large diameter pole, wrapping it with sheet metal will keep raccoons from climbing (I know people who've done just that), but apparently with the narrow pole I have, they could grab on enough to shimmy up. We never saw them actually climbing it, although we did catch them wrapped around the feeder like little bears.

[Biciclista]

vasoline!! keep it greased. I love it.
Crankin, tinnitus can be exacerbated by allergies. And you just had an ear infection. It might go away. Or it might not. I get noise induced tinnitus.

[kelownagirl]

vasoline, greasing the pole, I had to scroll down a bit to get some context here...

[Duck on Wheels]

We used to keep raccoons and skunks from climbing the support poles under the roosts on our chicken houses by putting a metal "collar" around each pole. Each collar would be cut in sections partway up. The top end (without the cuts) was wound around the pole and fastened (nailed on with roofing nails), then the cut bits were flared outwards, kind of like the ruffles you would put on a roast turkey leg, but straight-edged. The flares had to be long enough and bent outwards enough that the 'coons couldn't reach around them to pull themselves past that point. It worked. And I don't think any raccoons or skunks actually cut themselves on the flare edges, although they were a bit sharp. These are smart animals. When they feel that sharp edge with a paw, they turn back down and look for a safer route.

[TsPoet]

vasoline, greasing the pole, I had to scroll down a bit to get some context here...

That's so funny, me too. For some reason a stripper's pole sprung to mind. I know somewhere on some forum recently I was reading a thread about how much fun and exercise stripper's poles are and they are a great exercise fad - so that's just what I thought was being discussed.

[Zen]

I can't say anything here...but you know I have so much to say.

[Crankin]

You can buy a "squirrel proof" bird feeder. I have one, in fact had it for years. It's on a pole as you describe, but the feeder part is weighted, so if an animal heavier than a bird gets on the ledge, it clamps shut, causing the offender to fly off.
Much easier than the vasoline, which we tried for quite awhile.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Do they have squirrel-proof stripper poles? Or Stripper-proof bird feeders?
I'd think there'd be a market for both.

[Crankin]

I have no reply to that question, Lisa! The Audubon Society would disown me.

[Selkie]

Is Ruby getting a stripper pole?

Margot is losing her puppy fluff and now is getting real dog hair. I think she's going to be more of a blonde than butterscotch golden. Puppyhood is so fleeting (thank God!). She's 12 weeks old today and can already jump up onto the furniture.

[Crankin]

Rain again! Well, it looks like I might be able to get a run in this afternoon and a ride first thing tomorrow morning, after I get my hair cut.
I am cutting my hair off after a year of growing it. I can't take it anymore... Straightening every 3 months, having to wait half an hour to blow dry it, or total frizz, using the flat iron. Plus, although it looks straight when I am done, it's not particularly stylish looking, more like a suburban mom look.
Not to mention the pain of it when cycling. I am getting it cut very short again, but instead of the spikes, I am leaving it longer and "messy" looking on the top.
My visit to the "special" PT seems to have worked. She used the "McKenzie" method to work on my neck and sent me home with 3 exercises that are working. I go back tot he regular guy Tuesday.

[OakLeaf]

Wmy therapist, while good, keeps saying little things that remind me of the cultural microaggressions I learned about last semester (won't go into that... he doesn't have a clue. I keep thinking about George's father on Seinfeld, who yelled, "anti-Semitic" every time he thought someone had said/done something negative to him).
I don't feel "sick" anymore, though.

Crankin, glad you're feeling somewhat better.

I hadn't heard that word "microaggressions" before, but it sure is beautifully descriptive. I totally get what you mean about not wanting to jump to conclusions, but I wouldn't be so quick to excuse the guy as clueless. My experience is that the people who make those little comments to someone's face, are the same ones who'll say something much more vicious and explicit when they're gone. I expect that where you live, there just aren't that many social situations where it's acceptable to make blatant racist comments. Unfortunately, that's not the case where I live, so I get to see both "faces" of people.