The Times-News from Twin Falls, Idaho • 15

INSIDE: Couple 5 Of considers I Dlacement of I I I- Roads OUNTRY every plant, TUESDAY sxone, vi tA nfmrfr oh oaoe YOUR LANDSCAPE YOUR LIVESTOCK YOUR LIFESTYLE TIMES-NEWS FEATURES EDITOR VIRGINIA HUTCHINS: 735-3242 INSIDE: Magic Valley, C3 I Obituaries, C4 I Comics, C6-7 I Dear Abbyf C7 ijiPijiiBiPiiiiiiiij.isr.pwrwiwlfl-j'M,wi,4li""i,wl,i"iiBl'i r-t- i 0 1 2 i I 1 Around here, expect to hear tales of critters in the house FMi Mrtiv 4 BN NUEST Here's an animal encounter that left behind no damage: Bob Kuest, who lives north of Buhl, says this deer followed him into his house this spring after he petted it in the backyard. 'It was a neat he says. Kuest has more critter tales to tell, too; he rescued a squirrel from an interior wall last year. Keeping your living quarters to yourself By Virginia S. Hutchins Times-News writer PMl CMrtHV if WNE LOOS New shingles on Anne Loebs' Twin Falls house cover holes made by flickers.

But the birds have kept pecking. (Bats, however, won't leave tracks or push through paper, and they are difficult to see. Look carefully on the attic floor and on insulation for rat-like pel- lets. Also, check the entire attic ceiling and rafters for the bats themselves. Bat entry holes tend to be greasy.) Chimney: Check the chimney from the roof (or have a chimney sweep do so) to make sure there are no animals present then install a chimney cap.

Roof and siding: Repair loose vent screens, warped siding and roof holes. Pipes: Look behind appliances (wash- er, dryer, fridge) and anywhere else I pipes enter the house. Fill holes around pipes with copper wire mesh, and use expanding foam in cracks. Trash: Secure trash containers with i bungee cords, ropes or weights, or put out trash the morning of collection rather than the night before. Trees and leaves: Trim branches six feet away from your house to limit access for roof-climbing wildlife.

Clean debris especially leaf piles around the house foundation. Compost: Cover and secure compost piles. Never compost meat scraps. standing in the kitchen looking around like, 'Where in the heck am Tuckett got the door open again and her husband tried to herd the coyote out, but dogs started barking and the coyote turned and snapped at Tuckett. It sullied the kitchen floor before they got it out and the dogs chased it off.

Now Tuckett turns on the light before opening her door at night. Like any sensible rural resident. Times-News Features Editor Virginia S. Hutchins can be reached at 735-3242 or virginia.hutchins lee.net. Critter-proofing now prevents conflicts later, The Humane Society of the United States reminds homeowners at this time of year.

Raccoons, skunks and squirrels may seek shelter in chimneys, attics, 1 garages or sheds during cold weather. So a pre-winter inspection of your home is in order, says Laura Simon, the society's field director of urban wildlife. "It's vital to make sure, however, that there are no animals already in the attic or other parts of the house before you close up holes," she cautions. The Humane Society's tips: Attic: Turn off lights and look for light leaking in, which will show potential entry points. You can test whether a hole is being used by most animals in two ways: Put white flour in front of the hole and check for footprints, or stuff the hole loosely with a paper towel and see whether it gets pushed in or out.

If after three days the paper stays in place, or you have no flour footprints, you can close up the hole. Use caulk for smaH holes, staple hardware cloth over larger holes or make permanent repairs. "For now, we're just living with them like bad neighbors." The bizarre It was two years ago that Tuckett came home late from her son's bas- ketball game and heard a commotion outside the back door. Must be the neighbor's dogs bothering her cat again, she figured. When she opened the door, what she thought was a dog dashed past her.

"It was a coyote, and he ran into my kitchen. I guess I screamed and ended up on top of the table I don't remember that," Tuckett said. "He was really big, and he was just MALTA The story of a coyote in the kitchen lingers longer in a community's collective memory than the scent of a skunk survives in a window well. And that's an awful long time. Live in southern Idaho for a season or two, and you're likely to hear a few all-too-true tales of bats in the rafters or raccoons in the trash.

Fail to install a chimney cap and you're likely to have critter troubles of your own. The strange nighttime visitor in JaLynn Tuckett's kitchen is an oft-told tale among the Malta woman's friends and neighbors. "It was the talk of the town for quite a while," said Tuckett, who endured some ribbing. "It was two years ago, and people still bring it up." Yes, of course. In Magic Valley, you'll recognize three types of tales in the repertoire of animal invasions: The lamentable One afternoon this fall, Dr.

Banu E. Symington got the call that every parent dreads: the baby sitter, reporting that the house's interior smelled of skunk. "This bad odor persisted for several days, but we found no traces of a skunk," said the Twin Falls hematol-ogist and oncologist. "Our pet cat Rumi was spending more time in the kitchen than usual, but he frequently chases spiders and other insects, so this was not too surprising." Two consecutive evenings, Symington's daughters heard rattling in the kitchen, but the family blamed high wind. A week after the skunk scent was first noted, her 12-year-old, Blair, reported finding a black-and-white rat in the oven drawer among the pots and pans.

Mom knew better: Must be a baby skunk. But it had already moved on. "Detective work by Blair resulted in discovery of a baby skunk in the water softener cabinet attached to the exterior of the house," Symington said. A borrowed trap captured the skunk. The kids lobbied to keep it as a pet.

The vet discouraged that. The family made a teary goodbye in the field across from Symington's house. "Eau de skunk lingers to this day," she said. "How the skunk got in there' we keep it closed and locked and then into the house remains a mystery to this day." And a mystery, of course, is great material for conversation. The persistent Flickers plague Anne Loebs' shingle- and stucco-sided house in northeast Twin Falls.

"The house is rather tall, with virtually no access to the second floor and roof from the outside. This is where the flickers go to work," Loebs said. "On any given morning, particularly this time of year, we will hear what sounds like somebody hammering steadily on the side of our house. Or we may even hear what sounds like a jackhammer, and that's when the flickers are pecking on the chimney cover." As far as she can tell, the birds don't nest inside. They just make the holes.

The Loebses have called in pest-control and carpentry pros. A rat trap baited with chicken liver failed to catch the culprits. Pale shingles dot the house where contractors repaired flicker damage. Using a flicker hole for access, squirrels moved into the crawl space above the master bedroom and held late-night parties before a contractor installed mesh inside the wall. "Now at least when the flickers get through the shingles, the opening doesn't allow any animals to take up residence," Loebs said.

She still hopes for a happy resolution to the flicker invasion. Magic Valley 4-H members attend national congress Celebrate bounty of the land at market potluck Times-News Camas County High School. Michael Mejia of Burley, son of Laurie Villa, represents the outdoor education program. He is a seven-year member of 4-H and a senior at Burley High School. Travel expenses are supported by the Idaho Beef Council, Idaho Cattle Association, Idaho 4-H Endowment Board, Idaho Youth Horse Council, Idaho Wool Growers Association, Idaho Pork Producers Association and Idaho State 4-H Leaders' Association.

tour of Adanta-area sites. The theme this year: "Lead, Learn, Grow. Create New Friendships." Among the Idaho delegates: Ashley Gardner of Jerome, daughter of Jay and Terri Gardner, is a 10-year member of 4-H and represents the family and consumer science program. She is a freshman at the College of Southern Idaho. Kandace Boggs of Fairfield, daughter of Harold and Darla Boggs, is a nine-year member of 4-H and represents the horse program.

She is a senior at Times-News JEROME Three Magic Valley 4-H'ers are part of the 14-member Idaho contingent that traveled to Atlanta for the National 4-H Congress, which concludes today. The congress was expected to draw an estimated 1,300 4-H members, volunteers and professionals. Delegates this year raised money to build a Habitat for Humanity home and participated in service projects. The event features speakers and a market, which is held in a field just north of the College of Southern Idaho on Saturday mornings throughout summer and fall. For tonight's potluck, bring a covered dish and a nonalcoholic drink to share, and supply your own table service.

Not sure what to expect? Call market leader Carl Hatfield at 543-4582 for more information. Show up tonight and you can taste this sea-; son's bounty from the Hatfield home garden (and a good many other local gardens). He plans to bring mashed potatoes flavored with homegrown garlic; turkey breast with dressing; and canot cake. Maybe baked onions, too. TWIN FALLS Tonight is your chance to taste some of Magic Valley's harvest, prepared by folks who really know their produce: Twin Falls Farmers' Market vendors and customers.

The farmers' market plans its post-season potluck supper for vendors, potential vendors and customers at 7 p.m. today in 'the Obenchain Insurance building at 264 Main Ave. S. in Twin Falls. Besides a great meal, it's a chance for gardeners interested in direct, local marketing to learn about the weekly.