Outrageous!

In Newport the other day, a 10 year old kid was running from another boy who had been chasing him with a dirty diaper. He ran smack into a car and slid across the hood causing an 18 inch long crease and scratch. Newport police have charged the boy with first degree criminal mischief, a felony punishable by up to five years in juvenile detention.

Now kids will be kids. This little boy didn't do it on purpose and couldn't have known that the 36 year old car was worth so much. He probably doesn't even know much about money yet.

Furthermore what is a all original, 1971, mint condition Ferrari worth $1.5M doing parked on the street at 9th and Washington in Newport anyway? Repairs are estimated to cost over $200K. I don't know many single mothers with six children from Newport who could afford to pay that.

Sigh, original story here.

Zoo Babies!

I came home from work today and looked outside and found that one of our babies has emerged from the nest. I went out and took a couple pictures and actually managed to get really close. The bunny just stayed real still, only thing moving was that twitching nose. Came back inside and talked to Camille for a bit and walking past the window, looked out again and saw two of them out there! I told Camille and she walked outside to take a peek for herself. Imagine her surprise when she spotted the third was out of the nest as well.

The invasion continues...

I caught the chipmunk out again and managed to prevent him from going back under the stairs. instead he ran off into the neighbor's yard. I went over and peeked over the fence and got a great big surprise. A giant snapping turtle climbing out of their pool. I ran back and got my camera just in time to catch the turtle making it out. Looks to be an interesting summer if this kind of stuff continues.

I'm having some issues with my internet connection that are really ticking me off so you'll just have to check my flickr account for photos of the turtle.

I'm being invaded!

Ok, first it was Cutworms, devouring all the leaves of my trees, then moles, or assumed to be moles that were digging all over the yard. Then it was rabbits digging holes for a nest in the back yard. Now it is chipmunks. I knew that I had seen one in my neighbor's yard a couple of months ago but now I caught on right on my back steps. When I opened the patio door, he ran right into his little hole under the steps. Sigh, its off to the store I go for some concrete to fill the big cracks and other gaps where the steps have worn away.

I really don't mind the little creatures so long as they keep their nests in the woods. I was looking up options for getting rid of chipmunks and one was fox urine pellets. I'd sprinkle some of that but then I'd probably chase off the rabbit too which I don't want to do until her babies leave.

You would think that the smell of the dog would keep them away but noooo! they come anyway!

Bunny is back

Good news. Evidently rabbits don't abandon their young like birds do if there is a foreign smell in the nest. After all the calls we made when we found the nest, someone called Camille the next day and said to keep the dog away for about three weeks. That the mother would return twice a day to feed her young. I had seen her last night on the hill but never saw her make it back to the nest. This morning when I woke up though, all was good as momma had returned.

Angel and the bunny rabbit

ok, so I was walking through the dining room and saw Angel laying on the steps outside as usual when we let her out. She had her head up, looking at something so I decided to check it out. Turns out there was a rabbit in our backyard and totally within Angel's reach. I was so surprised that she wasn't doing anything. I ran and grabbed Camille so she could get a look and got my camera to get a picture. Well I guess this was enough for Angel as she went after and chased off the rabbit. After she came back, angel was checking out the spot where the rabbit had been sitting. Turned out to be a nest of babies. WOW! After taking angel back inside and not really sure what to do other than not touching the nest we called around to several places and never really got an answer. Looks like Angel is going to get to see the neighborhood now.

The really amazing thing is that Eric had just mowed the yard yesterday. Makes you wonder if the nest was there yesterday.

Seems to be the day for finding things. I was coming home from Lowe's today and saw the ground moving in between my flowers in the front. We've had a real bad problem with moles lately. I stepped on the ground where it was moving and it didn't move no mo! Hopefully that took care of one of them.

Funeral for a fallen soldier.

I had just come out of Jersey Mike's grabbing my lunch when I ran into the police blocking off the intersection of Kenwood and Montgomery Roads. A bystander informed me that a funeral procession was about to go through, so I grabbed my camera. I didn't even know who it was for at the time. I later found out that it was for Army Specialist Michael Frank who died in Iraq last week. I then sat in my car in a moment of silence for the fallen soldier. Watching the procession made me realize that this is as close as the Iraq war has come to affecting my daily life. A 15 minute delay out of my busy day. It makes you think about how little we as americans have had to sacrifice for this war, while thousands of families around the country have had to endure tremendous loss.