old man going north

[mac]

I like Matts idea.I found a photo of a tank that reminded me of your tank Max.

[matt glascock]

Did that belong to Peter Tork of the Monkees? Awesome!

[taber hodaka]

Cut the bottom out carefully lay it in the wife's flower garden. Drive a stake down through the gas cap area, Then fill the planter full of mulch and plant some surprise flowers. They are cheaper and make a very nice arrangement. Seed swept up from the seed room makes a nice original arrangement at a reasonable cost. The wife would be proud. --------Clarence

[ossa95d]

Clarence and Max, I definitely can't keep up with you guys! No ocean frontage in Vermont so most likely not by the sea...in the mountains though! March can be very cruel, it will get warm here. Vermont is the four season state...winter, two mud seasons, and July!!

[matt glascock]

I'm guessing that planter will best grow "special" weeds.

[taber hodaka]

I laugh hard! ---Clarence BEST OF GROW

[matt glascock]

[taber hodaka]

It always good to see old friends and welcome them to Montana. And they brought me a case of what I am not sure of yet.

And then there is help shoveling my snow into a pile and boy can he fling it.

And look at that pile it didn't take him long at all.

[hodakamax]

Did you get all of the Max Trans Formula drank yet? Good stuff so to speak. The Old Man sure can move snow, He's darn handy to have around.

Max

[hodakamax]

The Old Man is definitely in the area as I saw some activity in the Hodaka/misc. shed. I suppose it could be the raccoons but this looks to be the work of intelligent beings. The raccoons just stir things around if the shed isn't locked. I'll put the Game Camera out tonight to see what's really going on.

Maxie

[matt glascock]

Its aliiiiiive!

[hodakamax]

Well, you have to admit, I have gotten my monies worth on the project. Lotsa material to work with here! More to come, I'm setting the Game Camera as we speak.There's a fair chance that it really is the raccoons. Seriously----Not. Well maybe.

Maxie

[hodakamax]

The Old Man once told me that if you take all the pieces to a clock and give them to a chimpanzee, there's a chance, however slim, that he may assemble it given enough time. Not so with Raccoons. They practice reverse entropy. The universe goes into more disarray with raccoons as time goes on he said. All good to know I thought at the time. I do live in a woods with raccoons and no chimps. Each morning the woods are in more disarray and that's why I lock the Hodaka shed. Last year I left the key in the lock overnight and of course it was gone come morning. My first thoughts were that the raccoons had just discovered it and played with it until they lost it, as in entropy and disorder.

Hmm, what if the Old Man was wrong. What if the raccoons are assembling rather than disassembling the universe? There are only three keys to the Hodaka shed, mine, the Old Man's and the one lost. Could it be that the raccoons also have a key? One would think that it it would take a lot of time for a raccoon to figure out how to get into the locked Hodaka shed and begin to assemble a motorcycle from a exercise bike. Unlikely, unless you had an infinite supply of raccoons with plenty of time, again unlikely.

Well, the guy who runs the hamburger stand down the road borrowed the Game Camera the other day to see who was messing around in his dumpster at night. I told him I needed it back to catch the Old Man playing tricks in the Hodaka shed. I haven't set it yet but I did look at the last frame from the Game Camera of the dumpster and maybe I'm not entirely off base as there appear to be almost an infinite supply of raccoons in the area.

Well, I'm off to set the Game Camera in the Hodaka shed. Maybe we can get to the bottom of this mystery soon of who's trying to motorize the exercise bike. I suppose it could be just another cruel joke that the Old Man is good at. Hard to say without photographic evidence. Stay tuned.

Maxie

PS--Gray/misty inside day, just writing. Clarence started it.

[Bullfrog]

. . . a herd of elk, a gaggle of geese, a murder of crows . . . and a bin of raccoons?
Ed

[taber hodaka]

A flock of ducks, a band of sheep and a covey of quail. Along with a army of ants. could this go on? A park full of Hodaka nuts.------------Clarence

[hodakamax]

Well the Old Man returned a few days ago to visit his friends who usually arrive about the same time. Both are early this year, It is a Summer Tanager he says. No one knows how this relationship started but I suspect it's because the Old Man can sit still for long periods of time especially when painting. I guess he didn't appear to be a threat. The bird doesn't seem to like me very well and I only see him infrequently a few times a year. Good sighting here, both in the same place at the same time. Remarkable actually. That's the report for now, I do have quite the painting project coming up soon for the Old Man as the house is needing it.
Max
I really do need a new Hodaka project as I'm running out of things to write about on the Forum. Clarence started it.

[mac]

Wow a real Dr.Doolittle,that is pretty cool!

[hodakamax]

I did see the Old Man at our local Farm Store today eyeing the raccoon traps which are a hot item in this area. Seems almost futile with a near infinite amount of Raccoons. I personally live trapped fourteen last year and relocated them past the hamburger stand down the road. That's where they party I've heard. Seriously, I'm not pulling your leg. Last year I actually live-trapped 15 but the last one had four raccoon children wandering around the trap trying to figure out how to get mom out. I let her go, one needs a few raccoons to keep nature in balance. It's when they reach double digits that the trouble begins. I did get a new lock for the Hodaka shed since the raccoons somehow obtained a key to the old lock.

So that's the report, ever vigilant. Clarence's turn.

Max, a good friend of the Old Man.

[hodakamax]

After seeing the Old Man and all those traps I'm starting to see where the raccoon problem manifests itself. Everyone has traps and raccoons. They just catch them and take them to someone else's place and release them. Then they are trapped again and taken back or to a new place. It looks like the raccoons would get trap shy but maybe they've discovered that trapping just means a free ride to more urban habitat and a new place for mischief, kinda like a bus. A sign of intelligence and order? Maybe it's just entertainment for them. Who knows?

The Hodaka shed lock seems to be holding but the game camera is gone.

Any thoughts on all of this Clarence?

Max

[hodakamax]

Whew! I did find the game camera not too far from the Hodaka shed. I quickly downloaded the card for possible evidence. The Old Man is always playing tricks and I could prove my case with photographic evidence. Nope, just one selfie of the other suspect, At least the case is solved. Now to try and raccoon proof the camera which might require some thought. We're not just dealing with some stupid animal with no sense of humor here. Just another life challenge.

Maxie

[olddogs]

In seems in this case you are being plagued by a Rascal of Raccoons.

[mac]

He/she almost seems to be laughing at you. I have read that one of the many uses of WD40 is raccoon repellent.I think it would be worth a try so we can see if it is true.

[taber hodaka]

Live trapping raccoons and taking them for a ride in a live trap. Up in Montana bears come to town to eat some apples and get some free desert. The government trappers give them a free ride back to the mountains in a container on wheels, the bears also get a free bonus dinner as they enjoy the ride. Jill my wife,s pet would be a raccoon; Max what kind of hodaka project are you considering??

[MTrat]

If you really want to get rid of raccoons, search Golden Malrin raccoons..........

[hodakamax]

Ha! After five days of mayhem, Mr. Raccoon has been captured but not before wrecking two humming bird feeders, dumping the trash can and stealing a paint brush. My wife was furious and demanded action. I did explain to her that it's part of the description of raccoons; messing with stuff. The problem in trapping this guy is that Mr. Opossum keeps getting caught instead. He's not very bright and you can catch the same opossum night after night in the same trap. Mr. Raccoon's luck ran out. I hope this is the only one but probably not.

Mr. Raccoon's week of terror has ended and I'll be sending the Old Man to take him on a bus ride to see his friends up north, way north this time. Now to reset the trap to see if he had any accomplices and see who has the key to the Hodaka shed.

Max and the Old Man