Above 1200 Sq/FT The Salvage Garage

[mybigwarwagon]

I get angry when I am hungry too.

 

[Bob Heine]

I get angry when I am hungry too.

And shake your cage when all you get is salad.

 

[Strouty]

I guess I will have to start slower than anticipated, he is doing the cage shake again. It is pretty funny seeing him all friendly, then all angry, I like the friendly Chuck better.

 

[jakemac]

Rather than skipping smoothie feedings, maybe try slowly reducing the amount of smoothie to get him to eat more greens inbetween feedings. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 

[Strouty]

The issue is that he has been a super picky eater, before skipping smoothies, he wouldn’t touch the salad greens or alfalfa pellets, now he has eaten both. If he has a choice he would take smoothies, clover, and dandelion greens first. I need to get more Swiss chard and see if he will eat that, might have to try kale too.

As for the cage rattling, I think he just doesn’t want to be alone. If he wants to sleep, the cage is fine. I also think once I get the bigger cage he will be much happier. I missed out on two local ones, but there were a couple more that I was waiting to hear back from the sellers.

Next weekend should be better, the cage I ordered should be here Friday.

 

[Strouty]

Chuck had a 2 AM wakeup and eat, then back to sleep until about 5:45 AM. We are both at the Salvage Garage now, I am not sure if I am staying here the entire day or not, I would like to, but I have a few things that could change my plans, one is the used cages, the other is my Father.......

Anyways, I need to spend a little time organizing things, it is a total clusterfack, per usual, I just need to start doing something about it. I just want to start throwing things away until it hurts, except the pain doesn't seem to teach me anything, maybe I just haven't hit rock bottom yet? It sure feels like it, every time I start a project there is something in the way of completion, sometimes it is multiple somethings. I need to have a bit of calm, having Chuck around has slowed down my pace enough that I might be seeing things clearer than usual, basically I can't run around like a headless chicken, I have to stop and make a plan and stick with it.

My biggest issue is the same one that I have had for years, I have so much stuff that it is overwhelming, not having consistent help is also a problem, but lately that has been less of an issue. Talking with my Buddy that helps, the goal for this week sounds very simple, but I am sure it will spiral out of control at some point, we need to get cables run from the house at the Hill to the Office over the shop for the internet, then I just want to rebuild the battery box for the skidder and get the batteries back in it so that it can be moved without having to jump start it.

As I type this, I already see the two tasks are actually two huge projects in disguise, the internet will be multiple steps and some fishing of wires in the walls will be necessary. The skidder battery box also involves a battery disconnect switch, remote jumper cable plug in (Anderson connector) and all new battery cables. This is how I feel every time I start a "simple" project......

 

[jakemac]

I’m hearing a bit of sleep deprivation in that post.
I’m not saying that you’re right or wrong, just that you might want to wait until you’re back on a better sleep schedule before making any big decisions about your stuff. For now, concentrate on the projects that need to be completed and work to get them done. It sounds like the office and the daily working vehicles need to come first, so focus on those for now. The SG isn’t going anywhere, put your efforts into keeping the shop at the hill useful for maintenance, everything else goes on the back burner.

Groundhogs don’t have a long lifespan (6yrs in the wild up to 14yrs as pets) so Chuck should mature quickly, but that doesn’t mean today. Eventually the two of you will settle in and more work can get done. For now just enjoy the distraction while it lasts.

As for your Father, well …………….. can’t help you with that one.

 

[Strouty]

Definitely need more sleep, I anticipate things getting better as we go too. I am going to concentrate on a couple things at the SG, one is my desk/workbench, it is a mess and I need it to be useful, right now it is a catch all and I don't hardly have enough space to use my keyboard. There is such a random mix of stuff on it too, no rhyme or reason, guess it is clear that I suffer from FSD (flat surface disease). I have four drawers that need to be installed under the top, if I can get those mounted, it would be a great way to at least store the normal things that I use on a regular basis. I am working on keeping just the essentials at hand and moving all the superfluous stuff away.

 

[xtremek]

Your bench looks just like mine, a total cluster.

 

[Chrisb62]

I'm sorry to tell you guys that your problem is you don't have enough flat surfaces...........

 

[Strouty]

Well, I may have solved one Chuck issue, when he isn't sleepy, he doesn't want to be in a cage, he will however stay in a tote as long as you visit him every so often, otherwise he tries to jump out. I went out back and found a decent sized tote, it is just a crappy one I got from somewhere, it has a crack up top and is missing the lid, I think I used it to haul recycling around. Anyways, it is tall enough that Chuck can't get out (for now), so I can leave him in the office with the door shut and not worry as much about him getting out. I may stop and grab a couple more from Lowes on the way home, then I can leave one at each location so he has a bit of a play pen for when he isn't sleepy. Maybe at some point he will want to be outside more, but frankly, I am not sure, he seems to have more fun being a kitty, then he does being a groundhog. The first step to having him outside will probably be one of those IBC totes cut down to size, then I can put dirt in the bottom for him to dig, but he won't be able to dig out. Second step will be something larger, but I need to get both of us comfortable enough so that I can get some work done and actually be able to make him a nicer enclosure.

 

[Strouty]

I'm sorry to tell you guys that your problem is you don't have enough flat surfaces...........

Enabler!

 

[Chrisb62]

I am so..........glad to help

 

[Strouty]

Today got expensive fast, I saw an add for the water cooled bed company, they have a "new" setup, it is just like the cheap Chinese ones that I liked (but they leaked constantly) except "better", the thing that made it truly expensive is that I had to buy a new cooler, they have an improved version. Part of the reason I am sleeping so poorly is Chuck, but 60% of it is that I am cooking all night long. I am willing to give it a shot, there is a 30 day money back guarantee and I am not going to be afraid to use it.

On top of that I had a lowball offer accepted on a 1" drive torque wrench, so there goes the budget for the next couple weeks.

Friday can't get here soon enough, Chuck got out of his cage again, took me 30 minutes to get him out from his hiding spot. The new cage is elevated and the doors are easier for me to open, being on my knees, Chuck can take advantage of the fact that I don't want to step on him trying to stand up to chase him. It is kind of comical and I now see that I will shut the office door whenever transferring him from the tote to the cage or vice versa.

 

[rvieceli]

Strouty, I am reasonably confident that Chuck, if he so desires, would make short work of digging out of an IBC tote. You mileage may vary. Ground hogs don't just dig, they are digging machines.

Ron

 

[bulletpruf]

I wouldn't feel guilty about spending $ on something that will help you sleep. Without good sleep, your quality of life goes to **** real quickly.

 

[jakemac]

I'm sorry to tell you guys that your problem is you don't have enough flat surfaces...........

Proof that the world is round.
If the world was flat we’d have plenty of room to put our stuff.

 

[Strouty]

Strouty, I am reasonably confident that Chuck, if he so desires, would make short work of digging out of an IBC tote. You mileage may vary. Ground hogs don't just dig, they are digging machines.

Ron

Ron, he isn't much of a digger yet, we also plan on trimming his claws, I am sure he would eventually be able to get through the plastic, but I think it would be noticeable before he could escape.

I wouldn't feel guilty about spending $ on something that will help you sleep. Without good sleep, your quality of life goes to **** real quickly.

That was my thought as well, I would be willing to bet that the bed cooler will be here at the same time as Chuck's new cage, might let both of us sleep better.

Proof that the world is round.
If the world was flat we’d have plenty of room to put our stuff.

Isn't the theory that if the earth were flat, all the cats would have knocked everything off it by now?

 

[Strouty]

I heard a noise in the office, I go in and there is Chuck with a stick, slamming it around, so I guess he is a woodchuck.

 

[Strouty]

Long day, not super productive, but I am headed home now, Chuck is tired and so am I.

 

[86turbodsl]

I admire your perseverance, but at the end of the day, Chuck is a wild animal, it took thousands of years to breed captivity into our pets. Clearly not as dangerous as many of the other pets people try to keep, but you may find he is always a bit wild. Are you planning on keeping him in a cage with full coverage as he ages? These guys can dig through anything pretty much.

 

[jack stand]

...and I've seen them scurry right up a tree too.

 

[Strouty]

The plan is to have a larger enclosure outside and a cage that he can sleep in. He will most likely be part of the household most of the time, just depends on how things progress. I have had some pretty strange pets and the key with something wild is to put in the effort, wild and stupid versus wild and super smart are two totally different things, these guys are very smart and he learns things pretty quick. That should make the wild part less of an issue, but I know it will be an issue and knowing is half the battle.

 

[jakemac]

I wonder what being an indoor Chuck is going to do for his hibernation schedule ?

 

[Strouty]

If things don’t change it will be dangerous for him to hibernate, he has to weigh over 6 pounds or death would be a high probability. I suspect he will become more lethargic, but if he continues to have warmth and food it will be a lot less pronounced. I need to start weighing him to see how much bigger he gets. Right now he is a cross between a ferret and a greased pig, you can hardly hold onto him.

 

[Strouty]

3 AM feeding, Tired. Sleep.

 

[harley jim]

I thought this was an interesting article

 

[harley jim]

 

[xtremek]

That's going to be a huge cage. Good info.

 

[Strouty]

There is so much conflicting info, guess that happens in the interwebs. I have seen info on how when in captivity you have to be careful on hibernation, I hope to talk with a local person that used to have some as pets.

 

[harley jim]

That would be best, like you said the info is all over the place

 

[Strouty]

Most of it is compiled click bait type sites, they repeat **** from other sites, some even contradict themselves. I would rather speak with someone that has some firsthand knowledge. Chuck is being a crazy monster right now, he is a complicated animal, hopefully I can get a bit of time with him tonight, we have been outside for a while, he wrestled twice, he has been in the ball for a bit, I guess I need to get him some more exercise, he won't settle down. Of course I am at the Hill with both doors open to get some air flow, so he has tons of smells and that usually riles him up, not sure if it is a good way or a bad way though. I need to get to the bank, so we will be leaving shortly.

 

[jollygreengiant]

If things don’t change it will be dangerous for him to hibernate, he has to weigh over 6 pounds or death would be a high probability. I suspect he will become more lethargic, but if he continues to have warmth and food it will be a lot less pronounced. I need to start weighing him to see how much bigger he gets. Right now he is a cross between a ferret and a greased pig, you can hardly hold onto him.

Please setup a video camera so we can all witness you trying to weigh Chuck.

 

[jakemac]

Not that hard. Weight the tote, drop Chuck in, do the math.

 

[Strouty]

I took Chuck outside this evening, he was running around for a bit, then he actually climbed back into his tote, then looked at me like “I am ready to go inside”. It was amusing, the other day he tried to pull his blanket through the side of the pen. He isn’t exactly an outside type of Chuck.

 

[jollygreengiant]

Not that hard. Weight the tote, drop Chuck in, do the math.

That's the soft easy way. I want to see someone try and hold a groundhog on a scale.

 

[Strouty]

I bet he would stay on the scale, he is kind of funny that weigh.......

 

[mybigwarwagon]

Groan....that's punny. Real heavy stuff.

 

[Strouty]

Sorry, I was on a tare.

 

[Strouty]

Weight, was that a pun too?