LONG and OT <g> [at-l] Cricket removal

[kahley7 <kahley7@ptd.net>]

Phil Heffington wrote:
> 
> Step 1 - Follow sound of cricket to source.  This must often be done in
> incremental steps, due to the fact that the cricket will probably stop
> "chirping" when it hears you coming.

Tried that.  I knew it was somewhere in the bedroom or hall but finally decided
to live and let live since it was not to be found.  After
two bad night's sleep I got used to the noise at least enough to
sleep thru it.  About day seven, I actually began to become
concern for the poor thing.  Since I hadn't seen it but continued to
hear it, I assumed it had somehow become trapped in the walls of this
old place and I wondered how long it would live like that.  The
chirping had slowed from once every 2-3 mins to once an hour or so
wilh occasional bursts of activity. 

About that same time, one of the dogs, Snickers, started behaving
very oddly.  I'll spare you the details but I finally figured out
that she was afraid/distubed by the cricket.  Even at food time,
if the cricket chirpped, she jumped and ran outta the house.

Now we had a problem....either the cricket had to go or the dog
would need therapy.  The only place I hadn't thoroughly 
searched was the bookshelves in the hall.  I stated pulling out
books to check for the cricket but nothing.  I assumed he was
simply darting ahead or slipping from shelf to shelf (wily
things crickets are) so I pulled all the books off all the shelves
and brought out the big ladder so I could do a visual and voila!!

No Cricket...  Suddenly..from almost right next to my ear, CHIRP.
OK.....it wasn't in the wall...it was trapped in the ceiling.
Damn....well, it was only the hall and the ceiling was pretty 
shabby anyway so redoing wouldn't be a catastrophe.  

Again CHIRP.  Ah ha....seemed to be comin from near the light
fixture.  Good!!!!  Maybe if i pull the fixture, it can let out
or as a last resort I could try a bug spray.  I really hated that
idea.  I'm the type that will do her best to catch a wasp and 
take it outside so to kill a cricket would be tuff but Snickers
was going crazy from the noise.  Since it was electricity, I decided
to wait for Mike.  I explained the situation as I took his hand
and gently lead him to the scene of the cricket's incarceration.

In my best honey-do manner, I proceeded to explain why we had to
free or kill the cricket.  As we stood, side by side on the
ladder, gazing up at the light fixture, my prayers were answered.
CHIRP!  Goody!  The cricket was co-operating.  He signaled us that
he wanted to be free  This I considered a necessary step in 
convincing Mike that the fixture_had_to_be_removed so the cricket
could escape and Snickers could be drug back from the brink of
madness.

"See?" I said...."did you hear it?"

He was distracted...looking over his shoulder. "Have you considered
that it might not be a cricket but the low battery signal on the
smoke alarm?"

Battery replaced......no more cricket and I profusely thanked
him for solving the problem, then beat him about the head and neck
for not doing so a week ago.


> 
> Step 2 - Visually identify cricket.
> 
> Step 3(a) - grab cricket and throw outside, or
> Step 3(b) - Step on cricket and throw remains outside.
> 
> Works for me.
> * From the AT-L |  Need help? http://www.backcountry.net/faq.html  *
* From the AT-L |  Need help? http://www.backcountry.net/faq.html  *

==============================================================================