CREATURES
WE'VE
HAD
IN
OUR
HOUSE
⬇
Living for fifteen years in an energy efficient home
overlooking a wetland,
(in Otonabee-South Monaghan Township,
Peterborough County, Ontario),
we are definitely what you would call
'off the beaten track'.
What we love most about living here is the wetland
and woodland wildlife,
seen almost daily.
Occasionally, some of these make it into the house.
Here is my list...(so far):
HUMANS - many
Mostly invited, these are humans other than
the two of us who inhabit this space.
Family get-togethers, dinner parties, Cinq-à-Sept,
Studio Tour visitors, Art Days,
drop-ins saying hello,
those asking advice, giving advise,
coming for a walk in the woods, a workshop,
a cup of tea, a beer -
all fairly regular events.
DOGS - 5+
Chester, our forever dog,
Best friend Fido,
Granddog Burley,
Rex and Toby (regulars),
and perhaps a dozen other dog visitors, (not all at once).
Best friend Fido,
Granddog Burley,
Rex and Toby (regulars),
and perhaps a dozen other dog visitors, (not all at once).
CATS – 4
Larry the Cat, long-time resident,
Gertie, who died at 22, known as ‘The Biting Cat' by the grandhumans,
Grandcat Milo,
and one feral cat, a longtime nocturnal visitor, via cat-flap.
Gertie, who died at 22, known as ‘The Biting Cat' by the grandhumans,
Grandcat Milo,
and one feral cat, a longtime nocturnal visitor, via cat-flap.
BABY BUNNIES - 1
Brought in, very much alive, by Larry the Cat.
BIRDS - 3
Wild birds, each time, when the door was inadvertently left open.
Last October, a chickadee spent an hour in our rafters,
trying to find a way out of our clerestory windows.
Her feet eventually, (and embarrassingly),
became entangled in cobwebs, and I was able to climb a ladder
and scoop her up, remove the tangle of webs,
and let her go. Outdoors.
Happy ending.
TURTLES - 1
A snapper, right up to the threshold, but not I suppose, technically, in.
RACCOONS - 1
Caught dragging a bag of birdseed to the cat-flap in the middle of the night.
MICE – lots
INSECTS - 1,000s
A note on insects…
I'm wondering if anyone else has had a pet wasp.
Yes, a wasp.
We once had a rather dopey, partially hibernating (queen?) wasp living in our house through the winter. We occasionally placed small saucers of water or (un)frozen blueberries or blueberry juice near her, and she (we think) nearly overdosed, judging by the amount of time she spent perched on a blueberry.
Her life ended tragically that March.
After biting the hand that feeds her, (mine, actually my leg), contrary to popular opinion, she did not die, at least not right away, living for about another week.
Rest in peace, Willa.
I'm wondering if anyone else has had a pet wasp.
Yes, a wasp.
We once had a rather dopey, partially hibernating (queen?) wasp living in our house through the winter. We occasionally placed small saucers of water or (un)frozen blueberries or blueberry juice near her, and she (we think) nearly overdosed, judging by the amount of time she spent perched on a blueberry.
Her life ended tragically that March.
After biting the hand that feeds her, (mine, actually my leg), contrary to popular opinion, she did not die, at least not right away, living for about another week.
Rest in peace, Willa.
TREE FROGS – 4
The first one hopped in during a Studio Tour... a bit of a surprise for him.
The remaining three, (several years later), hopped in on a warm, wet late summer night, and hopped out again (though one took some finding), the following morning.
The remaining three, (several years later), hopped in on a warm, wet late summer night, and hopped out again (though one took some finding), the following morning.
RED SQUIRRELS - 1
Ran in, sat up, looked around, ran out, all in about 3.5 seconds.
SPIDERS – Oh, yes.
(They get a category of their own.)
Specifically, in fact almost exclusively, Pholcidae, (daddy-long-legs).
We have a soft spot around here for daddy-long-legs, which goes back to our years living in a little cabin in the woods, where we were plagued with mosquitoes from May to August, and loved that daddy-long-legs are purported
to eat them, or suck the juices out of them, or otherwise reduce their numbers.
Not all of the humans who frequent our home are fans though.
Our number three grandhuman once exited the bathroom proclaiming,
“I counted eight spiders in there.”
Specifically, in fact almost exclusively, Pholcidae, (daddy-long-legs).
We have a soft spot around here for daddy-long-legs, which goes back to our years living in a little cabin in the woods, where we were plagued with mosquitoes from May to August, and loved that daddy-long-legs are purported
to eat them, or suck the juices out of them, or otherwise reduce their numbers.
Not all of the humans who frequent our home are fans though.
Our number three grandhuman once exited the bathroom proclaiming,
“I counted eight spiders in there.”
I like them.
They are sort of the ‘Fred Astaires’ of the arachnid world - graceful, coordinated, quick.
In typical Canadian fashion, I have apologized to one for inadvertently brushing it aside.
They have great resilience. They can look crumpled and dead, and on closer inspection, suddenly unfold themselves and stride away.
All of that, and of course, the mosquito thing.
So they stay.
‘Creatures We’ve Had In Our House’ can be regularly updated, (the beauty of lists), depending on who comes in.
(Latest update: May 2025)
I might add that we’ve had a wide variety of creature visitors who have peered in, scrambled over, and crashed into, while not actually entering the house.
Perhaps a list for another day, but these include ducks, geese, turkeys, crows, doves, one hawk, (RIP), and last Fall a small herd of teenage calves, (brown, white and cheeky-looking), who made it as close to the house as the patio, two metres from the door. Maybe if they ever show up again, we’ll leave the door open and see what happens…
I might add that we’ve had a wide variety of creature visitors who have peered in, scrambled over, and crashed into, while not actually entering the house.
Perhaps a list for another day, but these include ducks, geese, turkeys, crows, doves, one hawk, (RIP), and last Fall a small herd of teenage calves, (brown, white and cheeky-looking), who made it as close to the house as the patio, two metres from the door. Maybe if they ever show up again, we’ll leave the door open and see what happens…
Hi Anne, we enjoy having “Earth Journey 3 “ in our home!
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