Night creatures out in daylight probably hunting
Heloise
Dear Readers: What is a nocturna animal?
Nocturnal animals are specially adapted to be active at night, with heightened hearing and sense of smell, and sharp eyesight. Raccoons, possums, skunks, owls and foxes are examples of nocturnal animals.
What if you see one during the day? It’s usually no cause for alarm. The animal probably is just looking for food, especially if she has babies — and nocturnal animals prey on animals that are diurnal, or active during the day.
If the animal is acting oddly, don’t approach it; it may be ill. Call your police department’s nonemergency number or the animal-control officer, and you will be given further instructions. —
P.S. Don’t approach any wild animal; just enjoy the beauty from afar.
Dear Heloise: While taking a walk with my 5-yearold grandson, I identified a springer spaniel in my neighbor’s yard.
The next day, the dog wasn’t out, and my grandson said, “Where’s that sprinkler Spanish dog?”
Dear Heloise: As much as I love my cat, the chore I dread is cleaning the cat box. To make it easier, I buy perforated liners. A whole box of 24 liners goes in the cat box. I pull up one liner at a time to sift the litter, and throw out the used liner. That way I don’t have to scoop!
Dear Heloise: When I get my coffee to go in the morning, it usually spills in my car because the lid has an opening. I put a second lid on the cup, with the opening on the other side.
The coffee stays hotter, and no leakage.
Dear Heloise: My daughter needed a side table and wanted something unique. She purchased three round wooden barstools of different heights, and secured them in a circle with plastic cable ties. It looks cool — and would make a cute plant stand!
Dear Heloise: When I make hot dogs, I split the wieners so they lay flat in the bun. The chili and condiments go in better. I also fry the wieners instead of boiling them.
Dear Heloise: I seem to kill nearly everything I plant. It’s not intentional; I just overwater or don’t water enough. The grass is fine, but my planting beds are pathetic-looking. Got any hints on how to revive my planting beds?
Mary, you might want to consider succulents, which store water, in your planting beds. They can go for a long time before needing to be watered.
Set up a watering schedule, mark it on your calendar and water your plants at least once a week if planting something other than succulents. Your plants will thrive, and your water bill probably will go down.