Dorothy, I'm glad this helped! And blocking those holes is a good start. I'd put some steel wool in the mix - supposedly rats and mice don't like to chew through that.

This evening I drove to the airport to see a friend who was on her way to somewhere else but had a long layover. Since this airport is a major hub I've been able to see quite a few friends this way over the years. Getting home was a challenge, there was an accident to go around, and I did worry about the dogs out in the back on Halloween, but it doesn't look like there was much traffic. No one when I got home (around 8) - I think people headed down to the city hall a few blocks from here. They pull out the fire trucks and do games and have candy. Probably a better option than door-to-door in a neighborhood where a lot of people turn off the lights and hide out.

Fixing a toilet drip tomorrow, and while I'm at it, I'll do some more pricing on new commodes. If there is any expense involved for the repair (beyond about .89 for a washer) I'll look at stepping up to replacement.

SRS