Here and Now...What's Happening?

**Harmony** · 7th February 2026 08:29

Posted by Ernie Nemeth (here)
Sometimes I just want to leave.
But I love you guys too much.
You mean a lot to me even if I'm the black sheep.
I have much to share.
Don't know any I'd rather do it with than you.
Much love.
See you around...

Your in our thougnts, sending good wishes your way

**meeradas** · 7th February 2026 12:33

Posted by Ernie Nemeth (here)
I love you guys too much

No sweat, Ernie can't leave "prematurely"... that's not on the table.

One day, we're all gonna leave "naturally" - and after that, it'll start becoming REALLY interesting.

So, for the time being, stay here. Can't hurt as much as "the world".

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=geOuYsxuYwk

**Bill Ryan** · 12th February 2026 14:30

A tiny thing here that may raise a smile. I've been spring cleaning my larder, which doubles as a long-term emergency food store. Here it is, in better days:

I discovered that in a corner, hidden behind and under a bunch of other stuff, were my two bags of emergency dried dog food. I'd never opened them, and I'd had them there for a couple of years.

They were both emptied out. Nothing left at all.

Now I know why I'd never been able to catch all my mice... they'd been happily feasting on 18 kg (40 lbs!) of dog food every day for 2 years.

**meeradas** · 12th February 2026 19:09

Posted by Bill Ryan (here)
Now I know why I'd never been able to catch all my mice... they'd been happily feasting on 18 kg (40 lbs!) of dog food every day for 2 years.

3 yrs ago, we had rats in the cellar. One could tell by that smell...

There, I had stored some of my emergency water - 100 liters in 5 20-l-flexable water bags.
One of the water bags was sitting next to the washing machine, without further cover, accessible, so to say.

I went to another country for some time, and upon returning, experienced this:

One day, I found this one bag totally empty - but there was no water spilled anywhere (20 liters in a small basement compartment would have made a mess, I have clothing and instruments stored down there - nothing showed any signs of having been wet).

The rats had gnawed a handsome hole into the TOP of the water bag - and must have somehow been drinking the whole 5 gallons of it, without wasting a single drop!

Smart guys. My respect.

**ThePythonicCow** · 12th February 2026 19:16

Posted by Bill Ryan (here)
Now I know why I'd never been able to catch all my mice... they'd been happily feasting on 18 kg (40 lbs!) of dog food every day for 2 years.

Dogs can climb mountains and herd sheep ... but to catch mice ... you need a cat.

**Bruce G Charlton** · 12th February 2026 22:29

I was watching birds feeding from a container suspended a couple of feet below the middle of a twelve foot woven metal wire - like a clothes line; then a rat (body about eight inches long) tightrope walked along the clothes line, climbed down to the food container, and began feasting on the seeds.

I would not have been surprised if this was done by a squirrel, but I had no idea that a rat could accomplish such feats.

Presumably the person who rigged up the food container double-isolated by wires did not realize either, because the arrangement was almost certainly designed to prevent rats getting at the bird food.

**Bill Ryan** · 12th February 2026 22:58

Posted by ThePythonicCow (here)

Posted by Bill Ryan (here)
Now I know why I'd never been able to catch all my mice... they'd been happily feasting on 18 kg (40 lbs!) of dog food every day for 2 years.

Dogs can climb mountains and herd sheep ... but to catch mice ... you need a cat.

My dog Mara, who has a very large and perfectly functioning nose but is 100% blind, is completely hopeless at catching anything at all. I posted this back in 2022:

~~~

Last night after the sun set Mara was fast asleep in the grass outside. So when I went to bed I just left the doors wide open so that she could snuffle around and find her way back in any time she wanted to.

Several hours later, I awoke to a huge commotion, and thought that Mara had to be in some kind of trouble. What I found was that a skunk had got into the house and Mara, as blind as a bat, was chasing it around everywhere, barking and crashing into everything all the time. It was chaos.

I managed to usher the terrified skunk into the kitchen (where the outside kitchen door was still open), and shut the inside door so that Mara couldn't reach it. I assumed the skunk would find its way home again — and come the morning, the only sign of it now is a lingering VERY strong skunk smell absolutely everywhere.

**Szymon** · 12th February 2026 23:09

Posted by Bill Ryan (here)
A tiny thing here that may raise a smile. I've been spring cleaning my larder, which doubles as a long-term emergency food store. Here it is, in better days:

I discovered that in a corner, hidden behind and under a bunch of other stuff, were my two bags of emergency dried dog food. I'd never opened them, and I'd had them there for a couple of years.

They were both emptied out. Nothing left at all.

Now I know why I'd never been able to catch all my mice... they'd been happily feasting on 18 kg (40 lbs!) of dog food every day for 2 years.

A very well-organised pantry. I'm still sorting through our 2021 food supplies, mostly canned items.

I bought 5 kg of good quality coffee in 2021, and today they're worth just over twice the price. Talk about inflation.

**meeradas** · 13th February 2026 17:44

Posted by Szymon (here)

Posted by Bill Ryan (here)

A very well-organised pantry.

Yes, I second that. Wish I had such a properly maintained and spacious storage...

... and I had to dump my 15 kilos of Basmati from way back a long time ago - there must have been a tiny hole in the huge plastic bag:
Rice is a wonderful desiccant; downside is, once containing water, it molds beautifully and invisibly... but once you boil it, you will know...