[Magdalen] speaking of critters...

[Grace Cangialosi]

LOL, Jay!! They are ubiquitous! The other morning I started to take a drink of water and saw in the bathroom mirror that a stink bug was crawling up the other side of the cup! To my credit, I didn't scream and drop the cup in the sink; I flicked the bug into the toilet, making a mental note to check things more carefully--check the *outside* of the cup, not just the inside, which I always do!

On May 16, 2016, at 9:51 AM, Jay Weigel <jay.weigel at gmail.com> wrote:

And speaking of smaller critters...Reformation Lutheran's baptismal font is
placed between the choir and the organ, and filled with a small amount of
water on Sundays, so that those on their way to Communion can dip their
fingers in the water and make the sign of the cross if they so wish (I've
seen parents not only cross themselves, but make the sign of the cross on
their very small children, which I find very touching). Yesterday as I went
to dip my fingers in, I noticed a stink bug doing the backstroke in the
font. Mindful of the pastor's sermon, which touched on the inclusivity of
the Church, I wondered for a moment if this also extended to stink bugs,
but then I decided that since they were the province of the Other Guy, it
did not, and I flipped him/her out of there, hoping that no one noticed,
before I crossed myself and went on to communion.

On Mon, May 16, 2016 at 9:44 AM, Jay Weigel <jay.weigel at gmail.com> wrote:

> Seconding that....rabies shouldn't be a consideration from a scratch, but
> you might want to consider how recent your tetanus shot was.
>
> On Mon, May 16, 2016 at 9:31 AM, Charles Wohlers <
> charles.wohlers at verizon.net> wrote:
>
>> Rabies went through SE Mass. about 10-15 years ago and pretty much wiped
>> out the raccoons. We saw at least one rabid raccoon back then - it was out
>> in the daytime (raccoons are nocturnal) and acting quite strange. Rabies
>> hasn't come here (Vermont), however, and hopefully also not in Guananoque,
>> which has a similar climate to us. Also, rabies is in the saliva, so the
>> raccoon has to bite you in order to spread the disease - clawing doesn't do
>> it.
>>
>> Raccoons are remarkably fearless - The raccoon who was helping himself to
>> our bird feeder on an upstairs porch just looked at me when I went out onto
>> the porch and was only 6-8 feet away from him (or her). S/he wouldn't go
>> away until I either clapped my hands or stamped my feet.
>>
>> Chad Wohlers
>> Woodbury, VT USA
>> chadwohl at satucket.com
>>
>>
>>
>> -----Original Message----- From: James Oppenheimer-Crawford
>> Sent: Monday, May 16, 2016 12:38 AM
>> To: Magdalen at herberthouse.org
>> Subject: Re: [Magdalen] speaking of critters...
>>
>>
>> You might want to consult with your medical provider. Raccoons seem to
>> have
>> become a significant vector for Rabies.
>>
>> James W. Oppenheimer-Crawford
>> *“A life is like a garden. Perfect moments can be had, but not preserved,
>> except in memory. LLAP**”  -- *Leonard Nimoy
>>
>> On Mon, May 16, 2016 at 12:32 AM, Molly Wolf <lupa at kos.net> wrote:
>>
>> As I was at my computer tonight, I heard a sound from the garage, which is
>>> attached to the house and opens into it through a side door.  The garage
>>> also has a door to the outside and an elderly and very creaky roll-up
>>> garage door which takes considerable effort to open.  In the garage, by
>>> the
>>> house door, is a shelf upon which sits the big screw-top bin in which the
>>> cat kibble resides.  (You can tell what's coming, can't you?)
>>>
>>> So: hearing a noise, I investigated.  The small cat carrier had slipped
>>> from the shelf to the floor -- probably just Lady Gravity, I thought,
>>> until
>>> I glanced up as I picked up the carrier and saw a small furry face with a
>>> mask and beady eyes peering over the top of the cat food bin.  Which was
>>> open. The raccoon was *in* the kibble, having a lovely nosh.
>>>
>>> The raccoon and I had a long, thoughtful stand-off, during which the
>>> beast
>>> made threatening noises and slightly clawed my right index finger when i
>>> reached toward the bin.  Um.  With a broom handle, I carefully manouevred
>>> the bin lid onto the bin and quickly twirled it shut.  Raccoon now
>>> trapped.  After dealing with finger wound, I could examine the scene at
>>> leisure.  Said beast had somehow managed to pry up the BIG garage door
>>> (heavy, remember?) Jeez, they're remarkable...
>>>
>>> Raccoon transported to outdoor and dumped from cat food.  All garage
>>> doors
>>> secured against invasion.
>>>
>>> I am feeling fairly clever, all things considered.
>>>
>>> Molly
>>>
>>>
>>
>