Carolyn Holm

This is a corrected version of this post!

Dear Alpha Mom,
I’m worried that I’m not doing a very good job.
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
You’re doing great! What job?
Love, Carolyn

Dear Alpha Mom,
All my responsibilities. In the house. The garden. The neighborhood. It’s so much!
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
You’ve taken on a lot. I think you could cut back on some of those responsibilities.
Love, Carolyn

Dear Alpha Mom,
There are so many invaders! The deer, for starters. The doe with the two fawns, the big guy with the velvet antlers. The grey fox. And there’s the coyote who marked the tree in front of our house.
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
Well, I don’t think you can do anything about the coyote. Or the fox. And the deer can’t get into the garden because of the fence, so I think you can remove them from your list of invasion worries.
Love, Carolyn

Dear Alpha Mom,
But they all walk by the house. And then there are the nighttime garden visitors. The skunk. The scary raccoons. The possum. It’s a lot to worry about.
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
But they usually come by when we’re in the house. We don’t even see them. I think you can relieve yourself of that responsibility.
Love, Carolyn

Dear Alpha Mom,
I go out in the garden every night for a last run before bedtime. I can run into them any time.
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
I do hope you don’t run into the skunk.
Love, Carolyn

Dear Alpha Mom,
Do you think I’m crazy? I know about skunks! I had that happen once. Once is all it takes. I will avoid the face-to-face with our skunk.
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
Well if there’s an accident I have the de-skunk materials* always handy. Just in case.
Love, Carolyn

Dear Alpha Mom,
There’s also the tortie cat who sneaks into the garden.
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
Fair enough, you can tell her to get out. You can even chase her out, as long as you don’t get too serious about it.
Love, Carolyn

Dear Alpha Mom,
There’s so much going on in the garden. Like the two mice who hang out under the bird feeder.
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
They are bold, aren’t they? But I notice you have been doing a good job of keeping an eye on them.
Love, Carolyn

Dear Alpha Mom,
There are the crows in the bird bath. The Towhee in the window feeder. And the biggest intruder of all, the squirrel. I have to be constantly vigilant!
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
Here’s what I suggest. You give the crows and the Tohee a pass, and just take on the squirrel. If you chase him off the veranda every day, you’ll be doing a good job.
Love, Carolyn

Dear Alpha Mom,
The bird feeder is under constant threat. It’s complete chaos there.
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
Just scare off the squirrel, and let the birds sort themselves out on the feeder. It may look like chaos but they seem to be doing a good job of taking turns.
Love, Carolyn

Dear Alpha Mom,
I hope you’re right.
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
I’m always right.
Love, Carolyn

* FOOL-PROOF ANTI-SKUNK SPRAY RECIPE:
Skip the tomato juice – it’s not only messy, it is an ineffective Old Wives Tale. The following recipe truly works like magic. (Note: an earlier version of this post had incorrect quantities – so sorry! It wasn’t Poppy’s fault.)

Mix in a spray bottle:
1 quart hydrogen peroxide
1/4 cup baking soda
1 tablespoon dishwashing liquid detergent
Spray on the unfortunate dog’s coat, covering the entire affected area. Don’t spray the face, just wipe the liquid on there. This recipe is enough to take care of a small to medium sized dog. Double it for a large dog. 

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