The mysterious ticking noise*...

There it is again... CLUNK.  I wait, and then listen carefully.  Get back to work, typing, and...

CLACK.

What in the world IS that?  I am the only one who seems to hear... Or care.

There is something that sounds like someone hitting the wall with a rock.  Now, in the day of a deputy, a thing at the substation that clanks is not exactly spellbinding.

Clank.  Wasn't so loud that time.

But for at least a month or two, there has been a continual clinking, clacking noise in the back of the sub. I have even asked a few of the others, do you hear that? (Cue Christmas music, Do You Hear What I Hear? Ahem)

And, they do.  But, it's a, "Yeah, hear it.  Oh, you brought more cookies?" or some such.  Like I say, not exactly Earth Shattering.

CLANK!!

I have walked to the back when I am not busy, and I still can't quite figure out where it's coming from.  I have narrowed it down to the back wall, or the back roof area.  My bet is the roof, probably having to do with the air conditioning/heater... But it's so strange to have this odd noise.  And there is no set time.  Sometimes it clicks several times in 5 minutes, then nothing for a few hours.  Then, it might click and clank every few minutes for an hour or two.

Who knows, maybe it's a poltergeist, this used to be a convenience store, before it was a substation.  Maybe it's the ghost of some kid who ate too many roller hot dogs...

Click...

The mystery continues.













* The title is from a goofy video on YouTube by the Potter Puppet Pals. Click here if you want to see said goofy joke.

The Turkey Bombers!

We have several flocks of turkeys that wander around here.  I don't really pay them much mind anymore, they do the "OOOOH, APPLES" or "OOOH, ACORNS" and I try not to bother them much.

Some of the rafters are more easily spooked than others, however...

This I found out when I went out earlier than usual to open the chicken house.  It wasn't dark, but it was that odd gloom between night and sunrise, which was accentuated by heavy, dark rain clouds. I walked out under the oak tree by our door, and heard some odd noises.  Kept walking, it's not unusual to have any kind of critter making noise early like that.  It's more normal for the quiet of the night to hear crickets, frogs, occasional owls, but animal sounds are no big deal.

As I was walking, I noticed the pathway was strewn with poo.  Oh, terrific.  I skipped around the land mines, needing to finish what I was doing so I could go to work.  I walked out, opened the chicken house, and fed.

Then I walked back to the house.

Whereupon, someone spooked! 

FLAFF FLAP FLAP CRASH, (Tink, crunch, rattle), SMUNK, SKRICK! SKRICK! SKRICK!

Basically, the first one dove off the branch, which then hit another branch, startling the next bird, who also took off, giving off an alarm call, whereupon they ALL took off, in different directions.  If that wasn't exciting enough, the tree is loaded with acorns, and as each one launched, they let down a hail of acorns, and it sounded much like a typewriter on meth! I wasn't under the tree, so I saw this explosion of birds coming out of the leaves in every direction, and a rainfall of acorns below...  This all happened in about 5 to ten seconds, then they all landed, turned around, looked at me, and then almost looked disappointed, like "We got out of bed for this?" 

I walked back to the house, and the rafter re-formed, in our back yard, but I have a sneaking suspicion I might need to do some cleaning of the front walk. 

Again...

BRGLBRULGLEBRRRBU!!!!

Husband and I had to have a yearly see how things are doing blood draw, and we had to do it ASAP...  Our doctor is retiring, and so he needed the info to finish up things... 

(Asking him what he was going to do when he retired, he said, well, I am going to work in the Emergency Department part time, and then I will need to find a hobby.) 

??!?

So, we went in to the hospital and after clarifying SEVERAL times when my birthday was... For some reason the clerk had it about 3 months off... Repeatedly...  We had the bit 'o blood taken, and since it was fasting, we went and had a quick breakfast after at the Golden Arches Breakfast Club before I went to my job at the Substation. 

We were sitting quietly, noshing, when this horrendous noise came from the kitchen.  BRUGLGLERRRRR!!!  I saw all the folks in the kitchen area were looking to the back.  Husband made a comment that it must be one heck of a milkshake they were making!  I replied, I think they are mixing it, IN COW!

Several others were curious by this time, too.  When the gal came by to give us our meals, we commented on the noise.  She said a towel had been sucked up by the air intake to the fans. 

The meal was fine, but- well, the music had a lousy beat, and I doubt you could dance to it!! We survived, however.  Turns out, they had to get permission from someone to turn off the fan.  Finally, they did, and the noised blessedly stopped.  When we left, I saw a gal coming out with a screwdriver, I have a feeling she had the short straw to go up and get said towel. 

I can see the conversation, when said crew member goes home, "Hi, Hon, how was work today?" 

"Oh, fine, I had to crawl through a vent to get a towel out of a squirrel cage fan..."

"... Uh..."

Night sounds.

I had a bad night a bit ago, and sat in our living room.

I just kept the lights off, and sat on the couch, hoping I could go back to sleep.  But, then, I started listening.

tcktcktcktcktck...  Hmmm.  Oh, that's the timer for the lights.

Muuuhhhh.  Well, one of the cows must be near our fence again.

Grumble, thump. KaTHUMP.  ???  Ah, that was Rudee, flopping over in his doghouse.

Prrt? Thump. Thip, thip, thip, thip, prrrrrrrt???

Hello, Ding, yes, I am awake, sit here, if you'd like.

Soft rustles as she makes herself comfortable.  I hear Husband mumble slightly in his sleep.

The darkness continues.  I hear an owl.  Then a car go by.

I was amazed at how much noise there is in a quiet room...

Finally, sleepiness starts to overtake me, and I go back to bed, and lie down.

Prrt? (bleh)

Really, Ding?  Sleeping is the norm for humans, this time of night.  Thank you, but I don't want a toy mouse in my ear...