Wednesday, April 8, 2009

Ranch Dressing, New Work & Groundhogs


I have been busy as a bee today. Since my little shadow was staying the night at her grandmother's house, I told my husband to take the computer keyboard with him to work so I wouldn't be tempted to surf the net all day (I have an addiction). Well, I guess I wasn't thinking becuase I was still able to surf the net sans typing. Next time he should take the mouse! I was able to complete to more Springtime welcome signs. One with a Miniature Horse and the other features a handsome Palomino Quarter Horse. I would rather be painting with oils on canvas but my signs bring home the bacon and the coffers are a bit low lately. My DH has off for Easter the next 5 days so I really hope to get a painting at least started.

I wanted to thank Angie of Free Rein Art for the super nice blog post about me yesterday. I was very flattered when she asked me over the weekend to send her some pictures of my signs and a bio. When you get the chance stop over to her new blog, Ranch Dressing, to learn a little more about me and also about decorating your house with a cowgirl flair!



Lastly, meet my new nemesis, Mr. Groundhog. He's taken up residence under my shed and is helping himself to the baby romaine lettuce growing in my garden. I am at my wits end with this guy. I have a humane trap set but he's not triggering it for some reason. I keep baitng it and setting it and testing it to see if it works but he eats the food bait and the trap doesn't close. I've tried a few other things, annoying him, ammonia soaked rags around my garden, pinwheels to spook him - nothing works. I think a rifle would work but that would be mean, wouldn't it?
Please let me know if you have any ideas!

11 comments:

Kathleen Coy said...

What a great blog post about you Jen, love seeing some of your older signs. I hear ya about the web surfing addiction. It's a wonder I get any paintings done when there's so many great blogs to read, lol. And about Mr. Groundhog, I have no idea, maybe a dog in the yard..?

Zan Asha said...

Hey Jen! Well, you KNOW I love your work! And I agree about the surfing of the Web! I believe we all may need to join a 12 Step program! :)

Hmm...about the groundhog--I've heard of a few "homeopathic" remedies, though I can't swear by their effectiveness: Sprinkle cayenne pepper around his den, sprinkle it on your garden plants (you will have to wash it off later, but supposedly this deters them)...
Or...sprinkle cat urine around areas where you don't want him to go...haha, it never is mentioned HOW to get the cat pee. I suspect its just best to keep a cat in your garden :D

Gail H. Ragsdale said...

If you can't find anything at Tractor supply to deter him, you might have to shoot him as we had to. It was a groundhog hole that Tetman broke his leg in when we had to put him down two years ago.

Jennifer MacNeill said...

OMG Gail, that is horrible! My mom gave me some ideas tonight on how to get the have a heart trap to go off. I'll have to try it tomorrow.

Anonymous said...

I love that little dude! Send him my way if you catch him LOL! I grew up on a farm and we had loads of groundhogs in the fields. I used to love sitting in the trees and watching them run around the field playing and eating and scurrying for their holes when they heard a noise! I miss that!

Magdalen Islands said...

I don't know anything about groundhogs, so I can't help you there. Just wanted to say that I love your blog. It is very attractive and interesting. Your paintings are fabulous.

Gimme A Dream (Wynn Currie)

Totally Timmy said...

I had a fox problem so I got one of those humane traps. Managed to catch and be sprayed by the same skunk twice but never caught the fox..Good Luck!

Kim H said...

We used fox urine to get rid of the skunks. My husband bought it at the hardware store. Loved the bay overo sign. Going to do another one like it again? Also got the leaf necklace. Love it.
Kim

Meghann said...

Oh your signs are just stunning! You have such talent, I am constantly in awe :)
I hope your battle with the groundhog ends peacefully for you both, I know how annoying they are :(

Split Rock Ranch said...

If you have livestock, the rifle is, unfortunately, the best defense - certainly better than losing one of your animals to a broken leg! I have heard that if you get a pinwheel type ornament - something on a metal spike that turns in the wind and creates vibration - and put that in the ground near his hole, it will drive them away. We tried it and it seemed to work - the critters disappeared, but we don't have groundhogs, only smaller burrowing critters. We figured we'd try the humane method before going to more drastic measures (we DO have livestock - horses and llamas). Plus, the cat hunts the small critters within a 10 acre radius around our place and she brought home several trophies before they caught on and wisely moved on to safer ground.

Unknown said...

Oh poor Jen....I have not seen a grounhog since growing up in the Tri State area...Good Luck

Smiles,

Sonia ;)