Watch out for the winter critters

[BLUEJEEPLAB]

I had a bit of a surprise when I started up the Battle Cruiser to keep him fit throughout the winter. I was standing behind him and watched small little brown spheres issue from the right bank. My first thought was "It must be really cold, I've never had condensation before..." Then I realized that the spheres were solid. "OH S%%%, rust!" Nope, calm down Gino, that's bird seed! I have either mice or Chippies in my garage. So the solution was to snitch two of SWMBO's tupperware cups, fit them bottom first into the exhaust outlets and bungee them against the pipe.

Now, off to Lowe's for those sticky traps and see what kind of critter thinks it's okay to mooch off of me.

[xswilly]

being from maine and having to deal with winter critters all the time

check your air filter
seems that critters seem to love living in there
and if you run it and suck all that stuff into the motor
it will mess things up a bit

stick some mothballs around in the air filter and put shower caps
over the exhaust outlets
i put the mothballs into an old sock and stuff them into the air filter and other places that i don't want them into

they tend to like tearing foam out from the seats also
to build a nest with

[Czekus21]

The bad thing about little critters living in, on, or around your bike is that the little monsters don't even have enough curtesy to pay rent. I say evict em.

[xs650mike]

When I bought my XS650SJ I found the air filters had been eaten by mice, airbox was full of droppings.

You should have seen what came out of the exhaust on my XS650H when I got the engine unfrozen and it was started after 10 years of sitting. It wasn't pretty!

Once after SWMBO and I returned to San Francisco from 2 weeks in Central America I started my XJ750RH Seca and as it was warming up maggots started falling from above the engine. I shut it down and pulled the tank to find a dead rat full of maggots on top of my engine. Apparently it had been poisoned by the exterminator at the Mandarin restaurant next door and climbed up under my tank to die!

[prometheus578]

QUOTE]Apparently it had been poisoned by the exterminator at the Mandarin restaurant next door and climbed up under my tank to die![/QUOTE] It may have died from it's burns after jumping out of the stewpot! Gotta watch those places.

[GNEPIG]

It may have died from it's burns after jumping out of the stewpot! Gotta watch those places.

.. and keep an eye out for your cats around those places also..

[xs650mike]

Originally posted by prometheus578

Apparently it had been poisoned by the exterminator at the Mandarin restaurant next door and climbed up under my tank to die!

It may have died from it's burns after jumping out of the stewpot! Gotta watch those places.

Point well taken but this was no greasy chopsticks Chinatown restaurant, it was one of the popular Yet Wah restaurants of which there were maybe 5 or 6 in the Bay Area, great food. When it opened next door we joked about the Yet another Wah. We were awfully spoiled having this place next door, we even used to get cocktails to go! Across the street was Alejandro's Spanish restaurant (great seafood, steaks and paella), on the corner was Tia Marguerita's Mexican restaurant and another 7 or 8 great restaurants within a 4 block walk. Took us years to pay off our credit card balance!

[prometheus578]

Hey XS650 MIke

What's your address? I'm on my way!
The only good mexican food around here is from that expensive joint... Costa del Plenty.

[xs650mike]

This was back in the '80s on Clement St., by the way none of these joints were particularly cheap but Alejandro's was a bargain because the portions were so big. We never ordered appetizers there and spent that money on cocktails. We would order a paella valenciana for 2 and take most of it home in a doggy bag. Eat off that for 3 or 4 days. Can't beat the latins (Italian, Spanish etc.) for big portions. 18 oz. steaks smothered in onions and peppers...you get the idea. Alejandro's has since moved to the Mission District, haven't eaten there since then, wonder if it's the same. I believe I did mention the huge credit card balances.

We've scaled back since then, SWMBO usually makes her own paella now. If you've never eaten paella (the national dish of Spain) you've got to try it. It is a rice dish cooked in a big iron skillet with all kinds of seafood (clams, prawns, mussels, crayfish, scallops etc.) on top of a bed of rice flavored with saffron. The valenciana version has all that plus chicken, ham, spanish chorizo (not to be confused with the Mexican kind) etc., basically everything but the kitchen sink. An authentic place won't substitute "imitation saffron" (annato color) for the real thing. If you try to buy saffron in the supermarket you'll find they keep it under lock and key, you have to ask the manager...about $10-$15 for enough to make a large paella (pronounced "pie-eh-ya". This is some good stuff prometheus!

[BLUEJEEPLAB]

I can vouch for Paella. I lived in Spain as a teenage (Pop was Senior Master Sargeant in the Air Force) and Paella is to Spaniards as Turkey is to us Americans. It pops up at every fiesta, every holiday and whenever the families get together. I recommend authentic Spanish Sangria to go with it. None of this garbage that comes in bottles here (Yago). Start by marinating Oranges, apple slices, grape fruit, grapes and other fruity type things in rum and vodka overnight in the fridge. Then, in a large vat (clean garbage can if you have a lot of friends), combine large amounts of red wine (both dry and fruity), some rum and the fruit. A little ice can be used if you like.

Piece of advice, watch your fruit intake...

[prometheus578]

Hey, will you two stop it! You're killing me

Back on the topic of "Winter Critters"
...any of your wives have a sister(who cooks) that likes cold, rainy NW winters?

[BLUEJEEPLAB]

...any of your wives have a sister(who cooks) that likes cold, rainy NW winters?

Nope, SWMBO is the only girl and she doesn't cook much anyhow. I'm the Chef in the family and I don't think I'm your type...

[xs650mike]

Think they broke the mold after SWMBO, all of her sisters' hair spray is too stiff if you get my drift. They're all married to doctors, lawyers and such and would never tolerate "scary" stuff like motorcycles!

[prometheus578]

Well, ya can't blame me for tryin'. Guess I'll just go back to picking up women outside the Free Clinic downtown.

[skids]

Although that is a very funny line, I am afraid I'll have to forget it as soon as possible!!! 8-D

Originally posted by prometheus578
Well, ya can't blame me for tryin'. Guess I'll just go back to picking up women outside the Free Clinic downtown.