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Fuse Eh! 09-05-2018 04:48 PM

Nothing Lasts Forever, But...
 
By now we've all likely heard of the near total destruction by fire of the National Museum of Brazil in Rio. Not only was this priceless 200 year institution devastated, but the loss of an estimated 20 million artifacts (along with their associated knowledge and heritage) is an incalculable cultural loss not just for the people of Brazil but for all of us really. Imagine the devastation that we would feel if our own national museums and collections were wiped out virtually overnight. (Smithsonian Air & Space comes particularly to mind.)

I was somewhat pondering that loss as I was reorganizing some of my rocket stuff today. At one point as I was rummaging through what I had thought was a properly closed Tupperware bin I picked up a binder that held my back issue collection of the old Estes "Model Rocket News" and was surprised to see shredded paper confetti cascading out from it. Imagine my dismay then when I opened the cover to discover that one or more little rodents had proceeded to nibble significant portions out of the bottom edges of the newsletters, up to about Volume 4, Number 3. AARGHH!! :mad:

Sure, I know that there are digital copies of these available... but it's just not the same, you know? And although we have three cats in the house it would appear that the mice had plenty of time to carry out their little act of vandalism, as they had built a comfy little nest for themselves in an unfilled corner of the bin with the paper shavings. And as if to add further insult to injury, the empty nest still contained a little buffet of pilfered cat kibble as well!

So, a word to the wise is sufficient I guess. I'll be checking my stuff on a more regular basis now, and doing everything that I can to protect what I do have that is of value to me.

And as for my vintage copy of Capt. Betrand R. Brinley's "Rocket Manual For Amateurs", well, that's likely going into a metal box ASAP!

Rex R 09-05-2018 06:13 PM

you could try packing 'moth crystals' inside your storage containers.
Rex

mojo1986 09-05-2018 07:25 PM

1 Attachment(s)
I keep mine stored vertically in three ring binders in these slip sheets. Works great and never had a problem. You can get both binders and slip sheets for cheap at your local dollar store.

Fuse Eh! 09-05-2018 09:09 PM

Quote:
Originally Posted by Rex R
you could try packing 'moth crystals' inside your storage containers.
Rex


Interesting suggestion, thanks! Although I think I'll keep them out of some of my bins because "I love the smell of black powder in the morning." Naphthalene... not so much. :)

Fuse Eh! 09-05-2018 09:17 PM

Quote:
Originally Posted by mojo1986
I keep mine stored vertically in three ring binders in these slip sheets. Works great and never had a problem. You can get both binders and slip sheets for cheap at your local dollar store.


Funny you should mention that. Many of my other documents were in such sheet protectors in other binders in the same bin, and apart from the occasional tentative taste-test chew mark along the exposed edge of some of the docs, for the most part they appear relatively undamaged. Unless the MRN was just printed on tastier paper stock, it certainly does appear to have helped. So yes, that's another good suggestion, thanks! :)

ghrocketman 09-05-2018 09:42 PM

I prefer the smell of NAPALM in the morning. "Smells like.........VICTORY !"

tbzep 09-06-2018 04:15 PM

Well fed indoor cats are terrible mousers. Even if they catch them, often times they play with them a minute or two and let them get away.

Hungry outdoor cats are decent mousers at best.

Hungry snakes are AWESOME mousers. We always caught every snake we saw(non-poisonous) and put them in our corn crib because the cats just didn't work hard enough.

BTW, I feel your pain. I've had the exact same thing happen to some of my old keepsakes. Seems what they don't chew on, they pee and poop on.

Doug Sams 09-06-2018 05:06 PM

Quote:
Originally Posted by tbzep
Well fed indoor cats are terrible mousers. Even if they catch them, often times they play with them a minute or two and let them get away.

Hungry outdoor cats are decent mousers at best.

Hungry snakes are AWESOME mousers. We always caught every snake we saw(non-poisonous) and put them in our corn crib because the cats just didn't work hard enough.

BTW, I feel your pain. I've had the exact same thing happen to some of my old keepsakes. Seems what they don't chew on, they pee and poop on.
We managed to move our cats outdoors. Basically, they now live on the back porch. And they spend lots of time in the shrubs and other foliage around the house. But they haven't adapted much ferocity.

I heard a noise in my window one night recently and, when I opened the blinds, found a mouse in the window sill, and he wasn't showing any fear of me. Nor was there any sign of either cat.

FWIW, we do occasionally find the remains of dead rodents around the yard, but that mouse makes me think my cats are still spoiled :)

Doug

.

Joe Wooten 09-07-2018 12:04 PM

Quote:
Originally Posted by Doug Sams
We managed to move our cats outdoors. Basically, they now live on the back porch. And they spend lots of time in the shrubs and other foliage around the house. But they haven't adapted much ferocity.

I heard a noise in my window one night recently and, when I opened the blinds, found a mouse in the window sill, and he wasn't showing any fear of me. Nor was there any sign of either cat.

FWIW, we do occasionally find the remains of dead rodents around the yard, but that mouse makes me think my cats are still spoiled :)

Doug

.


We have 2 cats, one is a former total house cat and is a terrible mouser. The older one is a great mouser and is always leaving us his trophies on the front porch or on the kitchen floor....

sandman 09-07-2018 12:50 PM

OK, I have to weigh in on this!

For mousing cats are...ehhh...OK but not that good.

For rats, a cat is totally worthless.

You need a terrier! They are very territorial. And freakin' vicious!

I've had two Jack Russel Terriers and they have killed darn near any intruder from moles, Voles, tons of mice and chipmunks (careful they will swallow them whole) a bunch of squirrels one raccoon, one ground hog and one Blue Heron (OK, my lab helped on that one but the Jack Russel finished it off.

Oh, but unlike a cat, a terrier will literally tear up the place to get the kill.

They use to keep terriers (usually a pair of Rat Terriers) on ships. Cats were useless.


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