Home Invasion!

So there I was, reclining in bed with my laptop... I had set up the doggie gate and opened the front door to let some wonderful 80° fresh air flow through the house.

This is the little ledge over the door from the entryway
into the office, which is adjacent to my bedroom.

While waiting for some page to load, I glanced up toward the door just at the right moment to catch an intruder in the act. Realizing immediately that I outweighed the perpetrator, I jumped up and strode calmly toward him. I wanted to make sure I put him to flight OUT of the house, not further in. He caught sight of me and knew he was no match for my relative amplitude and made a hasty retreat. I walked to the other end of the house where DS was working on the desktop and told him what had happened. Then back to the living room to make sure he was gone. As I stood about 6 feet inside the door, the persistent little beggar let me know he was determined to do what he had come to do. He came right back in, just as before. Taking one step forward, I quietly ordered him to get out and he backed away again. I reckoned the only way to get my message across was to close the door. He stayed on the deck for a while, trying to find another way into my home. I grabbed my camera to make sure I had solid evidence of trepass, but each time I opened the door just a tiny bit, he boldly moved closer, looking for his chance. Finally, I just locked the door and snapped his mug shot through the patterned glass. It's a little fuzzy, but recognizable.

Looks like I'll have to keep the doors closed for a while. These little guys will nest just about anywhere and aren't much bothered by casual human traffic. When I spotted him, he was sitting on the top of the front door. Assuming that ledge was his prospective homesite, I'll get out a ladder this weekend and see if he managed to sneak anything in before I caught him.

Y'all have a JESUS-filled weekend! ^i^