Mary and the Night Visitors

So home again only to discover a visitor on Wednesday night.  Didn't know he/she was visiting until I heard the gnawing on my house! Porcupine! So I went out with my broom and gave him a swat and pushed him off the porch! I covered the chewed spot with generous amounts of chili oil as deterrent.  Somehow, that didn't do the job for more than one night probably due to copious amounts of rain during the day and night.  Last night at 10:30, just as I'd climbed into bed and turned out lights...loud GNAWING!!!! Arghhh!  This time I grabbed the camera as well as a bucket of cold water.

He just stood there, quills raised.  I emptied my bucket on him and he went quickly waddling away only to reveal that there was second littler visitor still on the steps who had no intention of leaving.

So into the house for a second bucket of water. That encouraged him to move off into the darkness and not come back last night.  We'll see if my visitors disliked a cold bath enough to find other spots than my house to go chew tonight! I am grateful to live in the woods and grateful that woodland creatures are so near.  I am also grateful when the woodland creatures find other food than my house.  If not, I may have to resort to the solution of the witch in Hansel and Gretel...but I don't fancy porcupine meat, so probably not.  :-(