Poltrack Blog

Autumn in New England is truly a treat. However as the weather grows colder, field mice and other critters decide they would rather find warmer quarters. Recently I was faced with the prospect of no heat in my aging Honda. The heater fan was making groaning noises and I instinctively knew the reason... MICE! I have many years of removing mice and their debris from a truck's air intact, under the flywheel of lawnmowers, even baked remains in our oven , dehydrated, decapitated by cats and frozen corpses in a bucket. I won't be foolish enough to leave my car unmoved for long periods again.

On a hike in Annett State Park in Rindge, I came across a few "sheds" in a forested area. They were in disrepair and were fitted with locks. I'd like to know what they were used for. Any ideas?

I am ANXIOUS Buster is a fine cat (with humans) but his socialization skills with other cats has been problematic. He gets along fine with the cats that proceeded his arrival but the introduction of new cats has been a disaster. We have tried all the suggestions to make the introductions polite, but have been rewarded with rolling balls of fighting cats, chewed ears and ungodly sounds. Buster is always the aggressor in these spats. His nemesis is a playful and curious female cat named Paris (named after the city, not the actress) who drives him crazy. Both cats are neutered so it doesn't appear to be a hormonal thing, but Buster started the disgusting habit of spraying to mark his indoor "territory". Buster was well on the way to becoming an full time outdoor cat. I decided it was time to try to unravel the mysteries of his mind, so I purchased a product named Feliway that mimics feline facial pheromones and is supposed to calm cats and prevent furniture scrat...

By Terence Poltrack The fans didn’t work, and it was already hot at 6:00 a.m. as the boys sat slumped in the no. 11 bus. CD dozed against Denny’s shoulder, occasionally jerking awake, only to repeat the cycle. Denny killed time watching the streaming images from his window of shops and gas stations and neighborhoods, choosing which house he’d most like to live in, sometimes examining his own face or secretly spying on other passengers. Only a few others rode with them, mostly Key & Lock night laborers just off their shifts. They looked worn out. Denny couldn’t sit still. He and CD had attracted attention when they first boarded. Denny blond, pale, thin, 12 years old, CD just slightly shorter, darker though, and all of 7. Two boys on their own, wearing mismatched clothing, carrying brown paper bags, towels over their shoulders. Even the most passive passengers eyed them. The driver hesitated. “ Hey, now, where’s your Aunt Janie? Does she know where you’re a...

UPDATE (June 21, 2016) - I found the words! I have found a book called Treasured Polish Songs which contains the word to "Our Company" the song that most of us know as Hupaj Siupaj. The book is available at Amazon . Nine years ago after a fruitless search I posted a request on my blog. Some of the comments pointed me in the right direction. I'm including the words but STRONGLY suggest you buy the book, it has all the Christmas Songs and so much more. Page 104 - Treasured Polish Songs Page 105

Years ago while visiting my children's middle school, I was shown a vermicomposting project that the science teacher had set up for her students. Vermicomposting is the process of using worms ( Eisenia foetida ) to eat food scraps and produce rich compost. After ordering a pound of worms from Plains Georgia, I received a package label "live worms". Preparation was simple, I prepared a bedding of shredded newspaper, some soil, coffee grounds and some crushed eggshells, and dumped in the box of worms. The worms have been thriving every since. The are easily the most trouble free creatures I have encountered, they are much less problematic than the cats (who produce unusable compost). All they need is an occasional melon rind or some corn cobs and they happily munch away. You can actually hear them eat! The only issue I face is the separation of the worms from the compost. Placing newer material on one side of the bin is supposed to produce a "worm migration"...

One of the joys of living in New Hampshire is our tenuous hold on the "First in the Nation" presidential primary. Imagine my surprise when I received an invitation from the few democrats in town to meet and greet New Mexico governor Bill Richardson. I like this guy, he has an impressive resume and was genuine and charming. Just recently he met with the North Koreans, whom he considers a bit crazy but in spite of that opinion, believes that you need to talk to your adversaries. He was in New Ipswich because of a local friend (he was best man at their wedding). The venue was quite impressive, there were buses from Manchester, the New Mexico state police (undercover) as security, a heated outside tent, live music, a delicious catered meal and a bar. I had an opportunity to talk to the Governor and was impressed to find that he considers energy independence to be a national security issue. He gave a nice short speech and mentioned that he will be making his mind about running a...