Man vs. Squirrel, Round 313

Here at the Cove we enjoy co-existing with our wildlife. We have half a dozen bird feeders scattered around the inn, chipmunks that like to play on our water slide, a goldfish pond and rabbits that come out to feed at dusk. But there is one element of nature we could definitely use less of: Squirrels.

Unlike our feathered and scaly friends, who hide if humans get too close to their turf, the squirrels will hop right up on the porch if you're sitting on the glider and come over to your feet to see if you dropped any food. They have chewed through the 3/4 inch plastic lids on our trash cans to get at fast food wrappers left by guests who have spent the day on the road to get here.

But by far the worst offense committed by the bushy-tailed rodents is the theft of food from our bird feeders. They hang upside down from overhanging limbs to defeat counterweights designed to throw them off the feeders, and shinny up the narrow, smooth poles that retailers market as squirrel-proof.

My various attempts to thwart them throughout the years have proved laughably ineffective. The plastic dish we placed over the suet feeder? They tag team it. One climbs to the top of the pole and tips it far enough so that his buddy can rake the suet out on the ground for a picnic feast. A few years ago I purchased a pellet gun on Craig's List. It shoots round plastic projectiles about the size of a BB that don't actually hurt the thieving rodent, but sting enough (I had hoped) to send him looking for a less annoying food source. Of course they flee when hit (the smart ones evacuate when they hear the creak of the door opening), but they're back in 10 minutes.

Frustrated in the extreme, I had declared a truce. Under the terms, the furry miscreants could feed at will on any seed that spilled on the ground, but if they actually got on the feeder or were stealing seed out of it, they got pelleted. However last week there was a violation of the demilitarized zone that called for stronger measures.

The feeder on the side porch has a spring-loaded lid. When you put it in on, you hold down a button on the front. When it is in aligned you release the button and a catch inside the feeder clicks into place. To open it, you have to punch the button before lifting. In between cooking breakfast courses last Wednesday, I looked out and saw that not only had a despicably clever squirrel figured out the catch, but he had climbed throught the hole in the top of the feeder and was literally bathing in seed.

After running through my full vocabulary of expletives (it takes about 2.5 minutes), I vowed to make sure I never had to watch that nauseating spectacle again. I grabbed a roll of the handyman's secret weapon (duct tape) and hermetically sealed the top of the feeder. I've sent Christmas presents to Tucson that weren't wrapped as tightly as I battened down that hatch. It's been six days and I have detected no breaches of seed security.

Of course it now takes 12 minutes to refill the feeder because you have to strip off the tape, lift the lid, pour in the seed and then reseal the container with fresh tape. But that's a small price to pay for victory in this particular skirmish. For those of you keeping score, it's now Humans 1, Squirrels 312.

Innkeeper David

Washington County Rhode Island County Fair Days

Are you a city kid? Are you a country kid trapped in the city? Are you a kid trapped in an adult body? You have never touched a cow or a fancy rooster? Then get your bags packed and get up to Narragansett with plans to attend a real county fair.

44th Annual Washington County Fair

August 11, 2010 - August 15, 2010
Daily 8am-11pm

Rhode Island's largest authentic county fair. Annual fair with country music concerts, a giant midway, animal shows, grange and 4H exhibits, crafts, children's games and more.

Washington County Fairgrounds, 78 Richmond Townhouse Road, Carolina, Rhode Island. Phone: 401.782.8139 Visit their official web site for more information.

Why is there a fan in my bathroom?

Many guests wonder about the small fans that are running on low in their bathrooms. The fans actually serve an important function. Narragansett is a lovely beach town but often the air has a bit of moisture. It's not always felt as "humidity" but the moist air can make make it impossible for towels to dry and, even worse, encourages mildew. There is nothing Innkeeper Seely hates more than mildew. The fans increase air circulation and almost completely discourages mildew from setting up shop. This makes Innkeeper Seely and Mother Nature very happy as bleachy mildew cleaners are now rarely needed. That's what Works for me on Wednesdays and every other day of the week.

Narragansett's Most Dog friendly B&B Inn?

Blueberry Cove Inn has been pet friendly for several years now. Although the doggies are only allowed in the Hideaway Suite they have been very nice guests. (Most of their human companions were too.) We are happy to respond to suggestions to make the dogs as comfortable as their companions.

We now offer our doggie friends a few extra amenities. Dogs that like to have a crate to call their own can use ours instead of dragging their own along on vacation.

The Hideaway's private yard is not fenced so hanging out and catching the rays while their humans were at the beach wasn't really an option. We now offer a six foot by twelve foot dog run that remains partially shaded during the day for the pups that would like to be outdoors.

OK, so we may not be the most dog friendly B&B Inn Narragansett has to offer but we are sure trying to make our four legged friend feel at home.

Our New Staff

As our hair has taken on strands of gray and our joints have lost flexibility, we've had the face the fact that the days of a two-person operation, where we did everything -- cooking, cleaning, front desk, laundry, accounting and yard work -- would have to become a thing of the past.

I just didn't have the energy to go mow the lawn in the cool of the early evening after cooking breakfast, working as second-floor maid, doing multiple loads of laundry and checking in new guests. So we hired a man with a riding mower to keep the grass at reasonable heights.

This year, Seely accepted the fact that the physical strain and time drain of weeding the flower beds and other gardening tasks were more than she could handle.

Human resources found us a couple of teen-age girls willing to come by once or twice a week to do the physically taxing gardening chores. They are not only the cutest landscapers in town, but hard workers who show up on time and do whatever grimy task we assign them with energy, efficiency and enthusiasm.


Annie (the tall one with the pony tail) was referred to us by the Future Farmers of America/ 4 H program at the local high school and when she realized how badly we'd let things go, she brought her friend Liz (the dark-haired one) to help out.

The only down side of the arrangement is that I have to literally bite my tongue to keep from making jokes about the fact that Annie (surname Hall) shares her monicker with the Academy Award winning film by Woody Allen. I'm sure whatever play on words I could come up with to reference the movie would be something she's heard before, numerous times.

Still, while I was out knocking cobwebs off the front porch while Annie was weeding the holly bushes yesterday, I couldn't help but wonder if the straw broom I was using would be effective in fending off a spider the size of Buick . . .