Weekend Honey-Do List

If the weather holds out this weekend, I have a pretty big honey-do list. Along with trimming the hedges, pulling out a ground-cover that is taking over the yard and a few other dull chores, there are two potentially big projects.

1) Fixing House Holes
Last fall, a woodpecker started eating through the shingles on one side of the house. He didn't come back after a few days, so hopefully that means either a) he didn't find anything, or b) he ate through the entire bug colony. Either way, I'm not worried about bugs, but I've got holes in the side of my house. Right now, there is chicken wire and blue tarp preventing unwanted entry, but still there are actual holes in the house that need to get patched.

I'm not quite sure how to do this. Wood filler would probably do the trick, but it will need a backer. Great, but how do I put in a backer? I can't nail from the side because there won't be anything inside to hold the wood in place. I don't trust myself to have someone hold the wood from the inside because I may drive a nail through their hand. And I can't nail from the inside because there would be nails visibly jutting out. This is why I've put it off for almost a year.

2) Stop the Squirrels
Squirrels, or raccoons or chipmunks or something, are eating through our garbage cans. They're literally scratching and gnawing holes in the sides and top to get access to the trash inside. And when the do, they knock the cans over and spread the garbage throughout the yard. Plus, its unsightly to have trash cans visible from the deck.

Melissa's grandfather built her parents a trash closet, for lack of a better term, years ago. Despite blizzards, drunken teenagers in cars (not Melissa or K) and multiple bear attacks, its still standing today. The design is simple - just five fixed sides with a hinged roof. I think we need something similar.

Hopefully, I'll take on at least one of these projects successfully. And maybe, just maybe, they'll be an episode of ITWOP TV coming out of it.