Heebie Jeebies

What a lovely day!  The rain has tapered off a bit and the sun has shined long enough for us to get out and enjoy it.  I had to rescue some marigolds that were floating in a tray on the patio... lots of moisture for us, but not as much as some people.  It sure has been good for my transplanted lettuce.  They have enjoyed the moisture and cooler weather.  In fact, I think some plants are almost big enough to sacrifice a few outer leaves for a little salad.

The wet weather hit at a good time for me, as I was needing to get some computer and paper work done.  I feel like I've been chained to the desk for the past three days.  I think I'm about finished with it and just in time for the sun to return!  While sitting here this morning though, I heard a strange sound.  At first I thought it was the lady upstairs, but it wasn't.  I kept hearing throughout the morning and attributed it to the vcr, or something else like that, doing some noise, but it wasn't that either.  It is a scritching, scratching, flippy, floppy sound and it's coming from where the chimney is.  We don't have a fireplace in this apartment, but there is a big pipe in the wall where one used to be.  It's all stuffed with insulation now, and with the tv moved in front of it, I forget that it's there.  Until today.

There is a little door thingy outside on the chimney, I assume for cleaning purposes.  I have had to shoo children away from there because there was a wasps nest in there at one time, and it just doesn't seem like a good thing to play with.  When I heard those noises, I immediately figured that there were two children that were going to get a talking to... leaving that door open for animals to get into...  Only, the door is closed.  I checked.  So, I'm guessing either some bird built a nest down there and the eggs hatched today, or some animal has fallen in there and is making a big ruckus.  I don't know which.  I'm not about to pull that insulation out to see either.  Wanna know why?

First of all, I've been hearing that flip-flop, scritch-scratch, and maybe a squeak as well, all day long.  When I hear such sounds, my body immediately tenses up and I picture bats, and then my skin starts to crawl.  Every once in a while, a bat would get into the house when I was a girl, and I'm still traumatized by it. *shudder* 
Secondly, the thought of touching that insulation makes me itch all over.
And finally, the idea of pulling out that insulation and having some Thing come flopping, flapping, scratching, squeaking, into my living room, where there are a thousand objects all over the floor for some Thing to scurry under/on/over just gives me the heebie jeebies.  *another shudder* 

And the husband isn't home to bravely face it either, so it's just me and the baby right now, left to deal with it.  To deal with it, I'm going to go open the little outside door, in hopes that it actually connects and whatever is in there can get itself out.  Then I'm going to turn on some loud music to drown out the sounds.  I will also periodically walk over to the pipe and peek at it, making sure that nothing is coming through that insulation.  But mostly, I will be here, on the other side of the living room, facing that wall with a broom in my hand, just in case.

Or... I will go outside.  That's what I chose.  I actually accomplished a few things that I've been putting off, like planting the winter sown carrots that have been waiting on me and I planted two marigolds.  Then I went ahead and transplanted a summer squash into a bigger pot.  A larger version of the t.p. roll.  Those roots grow through the cardboard fast.  I think I will give this squash to my sister, or maybe my mom, whichever seems more excited, I suppose. 

Unfortunately, I have to come back in to fix some dinner and the sound is still there and the skin is still crawling.  Excuse me, I'm off to turn up the music.