4/12-14/04 I went up to the property for 3 days: Monday through Wednesday.

I arrived at 12:50 and was elated to find that the peanuts were still on the floor! Maybe I really have outsmarted those pack rats after all.

After moving in and having lunch, I sanded all the logs that were due for another coat of varnish. Then I set the trap just on the off chance that some critter might still get in the building. There was still time so I decided to do something I should have done a long time ago. I made a counterweight for the log gate out of two concrete blocks and some sort of sturdy plastic bracket I got from somewhere. With this on the end of the gate log, which sticks out 8 or 10 feet beyond the post, it makes lifting the gate easy enough so I can lift it with one finger. Since I am likely to be weakened after whatever procedure I have for prostate cancer, having that gate easier to open and close will be better for me. And it's nice to have it easy even though I am still healthy.

When I went in for the night, I felt good about the gate and good about the absence of rodents in the building.

On Tuesday, I was again delighted to find the peanuts and trap bait untouched. I planed, scraped, gouged, and sanded the next four logs between Grid E2 and E3. It was pretty awkward because I had to work from a makeshift scaffold that didn't give me a lot of room to work. But I got them done anyway. Then I broomed off all the logs and scaffolds so I was ready to varnish.

On Wednesday morning, the peanuts and bait were still untouched. Hooray! I varnished all the prepared log surfaces and then burned up a bunch of old cardboard and mortar bags. It had rained during the night so everything was soaked and there was a very low risk of a wild fire. It was a perfect time to do some burning. I left for home at 1:00.