Finished deck upgrades. ..almost.

Here is what the deck looks like almost finished. I just need to stain the last piece...can you guess which one it is? That last piece probably won't get stained until Spring. Unless, my GF forces me to do it now.

Measure Twice, Cut Once.

Doing work on my GF's new place. I built 2 gates for the deck in her backyard, so, our dogs don't go running off chasing geese, skunks, racoons, ducks, and cars....

*****PAUSE*****

CHECK OUT THAT LAKE!!!!!

*****UNPAUSE*****

When I first saw the place about a month and a half ago, I could see that there was a ton of carp activity. Now that we're moved in and Fall is in full force. I see absolutely no activity at all. I haven't had the time to even wet a line until this past weekend, and I only did so for 15 minutes. I didn't even see a fish. I'm sure it has the usual largemouth bass, bluegill, crappie, and carp. I'm looking forward to Spring and Summer!

Thinking I did a good job on the gates, we brought the dogs over. Sure enough, my GF's dog Bo was able to squeeze himself through the gate and out into the field. Oh joy! He was able to get out twice. I chased him in my socks the 2nd time, stepping in probably all of the geese poop in the neighborhood. 

That prompted me to make some changes to the gates, and the entire deck.

I don't think I'll get tired of that view.

Finished up all of the staining (except for 1 piece), and nailed the pieces in the proper places around the deck. Bo, is no longer able to gallivant through the neighborhood by himself. Mission accomplished!

I cannot wait for all of this work to be over with. I miss my fly tying vise.

Needs some grass seed.

Skunked.

Not the fishing type of skunk, either.

Like every morning before I let my dogs out in the yard at 3:30 AM, I turn the light on and make sure there are no critters in the yard. The coast was clear, and I let the dogs out. Daisy usually runs to her spot and does her business and she's back right away. Bo usually wanders around a bit. Well, Bo wandered around, but Daisy, did not do her usual, instead, she kept sniffing all of the bushes very closely. This sort of alarmed me. While I was paying close attention to my dogs through the window on the storm door, I noticed something out of the corner of my eye, I looked down, and I'll be damned....it was a baby skunk standing on the step on the opposite side of the door. The skunk was watching Daisy sniff all of the bushes.

Even knowing that the baby skunks don't have the glads to spray, I knew that momma or pops, couldn't be far. I began to panic. I opened the door and tried "shooing" the baby skunk away with my foot, but that only drew the attention of my dogs, who now noticed that there was another animal in the yard. Thankfully, the little skunk jumped off the step, and under my porch.

....then I got a nose full of that god awful skunk smell...

I called the dogs in and smelled them the best I could. Daisy was perfectly fine. Bo on the other hand, caught a little bit of the spray. My guess is that Momma or Poppa skunk sprayed from under the porch hitting mostly the porch, and a little bit of Bo.

Bo received a quick tomato bath. I only had a can of diced tomatoes, but I think it did the trick...my girlfriend thinks otherwise.

They are living in a hole they dug out underneath my cement step, under the porch.

I've been researching ways to get the skunks removed without having to contact someone to trap them. (and pay them.). I taped a flashlight to my GoPro camera, and used the app on my phone to view the underside of my deck. I found where the skunks have made a home/hole. I soaked some rags with ammonia and used a pole to stuff the hole best I could.

My GoPro light set up.

Screen shot from my GoPro camera - Before I placed the ammonia soaked rags inside.

Screen shot #2 - I did the best I could with the rags. It was an awkward angle.

Hopefully, that will force them to relocate to someone elses backyard or the field nearby.