A regular summary of irregular news and notes from neighborhood blogs and email lists around the District.

Chew for Thought: Bad unknown potential rodent animal! Bad! On the Chevy Chase email list, one resident has observed, “[S]ome animal has just chewed thru the red enamel paint on my new Adirondack chairs from LL Bean. Do squirrels do this? Should I put tabasco, or something else on them?” Hold the hot sauce, though, because a response calls into question the species of the masked chewer: “I don’t know if chipmunks do this kind of thing. but my railing has been there for 15 years +, and the gnawing is new, so I don’t think it’s squirrels. Perhaps chipmunks, since they are fairly new to the hood.”

You There With the Boat!: On the Cleveland Park email list, one user laments the loss of his boat. It seems that someone managed to steal and make a clean getaway with a 10 foot green canoe in tow. And it wasn’t just your ordinary 10-foot green canoe either—this one was complete with “woven cane backrest and foot braces.” The poster is offering a reward for its return or information leading to it.

Make An Old Woman Happy: “My father died earlier this year,” writes a man on the Dupont email list, “And my mother wants to move into the city to explore the museums, festivals, and tours. The only problem is, most of the places that are safe in DC are too expensive for her. Before my father died, they budgeted about 1300 a month for Mom’s stay in DC.” Currently, the self proclaimed “dutiful son” is still accepting applications. Be warned though, there’s a Sept. 1 deadline if you’d like to help an 80-year-old cross something off “her bucket list.”

These Aren’t the Blinds You’re Looking For: The Mintwood Place email list is hopping with a discussion on where to find pleated honeycomb blinds. Preferably, the place would also install these most coveted of window dressings, but one with friendly hours that’s open weekends would do just fine.